


Teach Me

by xheybails



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-21
Updated: 2012-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-18 06:44:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 47,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2338970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xheybails/pseuds/xheybails





	1. Serious

Jane Rizzoli was not your typical girl. When she arrived at Boston Cambridge University, people told her this. Often. Ever since she had made the varsity basketball and volleyball teams as a freshman, something that was unheard of at her high school, Jane knew she was different than most.  
  
When she walked into high school on her first day, Jane was pleasantly surprised to find it was nothing like Hollywood, or at least the creators of Mean Girls, had lead her to believe. Cliques didn't run the school, there was no queen bee and you couldn't draw a map to describe the lunchroom.  
  
But of course, like any school, there were the obvious popular girls, mostly cheerleaders and a few girls on the volleyball team, who all seemed to be dating someone from the football team. Jane never expected to be a part of this crowd. She had always assumed high school would go much like middle school and grade school, and worse, that the awful "roly-poly-Rizzoli" nickname would follow her as well, despite the fact that she had thinned out considerably the summer before.  
  
So, when Gabriel Dean asked her to be his date to homecoming, to say she was surprised would be quite the understatement. Gabriel had been the 'Aaron Samuels' of her middle school. That didn't change in high school. He was on the football team; he was a basketball player, an honor student. And he was nice. That was a combination you didn't often find, a fact Jane was very much aware of, so she said yes.  
  
Who knew it would change her whole life.  
  
From that day on, she and Gabriel were inseparable. She quickly fell into his group of friends, not really caring much for the cheerleaders of the group, Debbie, Emily and Kate, but she always enjoyed spending time with her teammates, Jessica and Samantha. Besides, most of her time was spent with Gabriel, anyway.  
  
It was no surprise when the two were elected both Homecoming and Prom king and queen their senior year. Throughout high school, Jane had quickly become the "popular girl," mostly due to the fact that she was dating the "popular guy," but her status as varsity basketball captain, volleyball co-captain and first baseman of the softball team also helped.  
  
But still, Jane Rizzoli wasn't your typical popular girl.  
  
Unlike most of her friends who spend most weekends partying at the house of whomever's parents happened to be out of town, Jane wasn't one for drinking and though she attended most of them, she was more than content to hang back with Jess and Sam and just talk.  
  
Gabe was always the life of the party, no surprise there, and Jane had to drive him home and sneak him upstairs on more than one occasion. But when he wasn't drunk, he was what you might call the perfect boyfriend, so Jane figured it was a small price to pay.  
  
After graduating high school, Gabe as Valedictorian, both he and Jane had received scholarships to BCU, Gabe for football and Jane for volleyball. Sam and Jess were also joining them at BCU and Jane was thrilled to have her two closest friends with her throughout college.  
  
Jess was the one who got the idea that the three of them should join a sorority. At first, Jane was hesitant. She wasn't the type for wearing dresses or going shopping or bonding over boy bands and reality shows. But early in their friendship they had adopted an unspoken rule. What one of them did, all of them did, and majority ruled. So when Sam quickly agreed, Jane reluctantly joined too.  
  
It turned out to be a pretty great idea. Most of the other girls were also at the school by way of sports scholarships and a surprising amount shared her aversion to dresses and the color pink. There were also couples that, like Jane, were majoring in photography, and they had several classes together.  
  
And, of course, there was Gabriel. Despite both their hectic schedules, they were even closer after three years in college than they were when they arrived at BCU. Gabe was majoring in chemistry and planned to attend medical school next year, so he was always studying for some sort of test, not to mention that both were still in sports and had to travel a lot for games.  
  
They had only been back to school for a few weeks and already their free time together had been limited. Normally, Jane would be more understanding, but Gabe had been gone all summer doing an internship in New York and Jane had missed him terribly.  
  
Unfortunately, she was still missing him.  
  
Gabriel had arrived back in Boston the day before classes began and had been so busy since, she had barely seen him.  
  
This weekend, however, was different. Sunday was their anniversary. Seven years had passed since they went to Homecoming together and he had kissed her when he took her home. Jane was certain it had been the best seven years of her life.  
  
She couldn't imagine her life without Gabriel in it and she certainly didn't want to.  
  
The two were simply destined to be together, she was sure of it. They would graduate, get married and have a perfect life together.  
  
So when Gabe had suggested dinner Saturday night, explaining that he had something very important to discuss with her. She knew immediately that he was going to propose, so Jane pulled out all the stops for this date. She even let a couple of her more fashion conscious friends take her shopping for the perfect dress. And heels. And she let them fix her hair and make up.  
  
Yes, tonight would be perfect, she was sure of it.  
  


*****

  
"Wow, Jane, you look beautiful" Gabriel said when she answered the door that night. Jaen whispered a thank you as he kissed her cheek and led her to the car.  
  
"So, where are you taking me?"  
  
"I thought we would go to that Italian place you like. The one we went to on our second date. Is that okay?"  
  
Jane nodded and smiled; taking his hand had gazing out the window as he drove. The ride went quickly and when they arrived, Gabe, ever the gentleman, circled around to open her door and led her inside.  
  
Once they were seated, conversation flowed as it usually did. Jane smiled a bit, happy that after seven years, they could still find things to talk about.  
  
 _Just another sign that we're meant to be,_  thought Jane.  
  
"You never really told me, how was your internship?" Jane asked him. Of course, he had told her bits and pieces over the summer, but he had yet to tell her about his overall experience.  
  
"It was good. I learned a lot, you know? It was really good for me."  
  
 _Huh, well that's not vague at all._  
  
"Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about tonight," Gabe continued.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. Well, you know I spent quite a bit of time with my Grandmother while I was there. We talked a lot about my plans for the future."  
If Jane wasn't interested before, she certainly was now.  
  
"We talked a lot about what I'm going to do, not just when I leave Boston next year, but what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life. And we both agreed, it's time to get serious about my future."  
  
"I couldn't agree more."  
  
Jane was certain she was grinning like an idiot right now, but she didn't really care.  
  
 _He's really going to ask me to marry him! This has to be the best day of my life so far._  
  
"You know I come from an important family," Gabriel started, a forced smile appearing on his face.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Normally she didn't have any trouble finding the words, but tonight, she apparently had lost all ability to use any having more than one syllable.  
  
"And I really have to live up to their expectations of me, you know? They expect me to become a world-class surgeon someday. Have a family. Kids. A nice house. All of that."  
  
Jane just smiled, now having lost all ability to speak.  
  
 _Here it comes! He is really going to ask me. I can't believe it!_  
  
"And I just don't think you're the person I'm supposed to have that with."  
  
 _Did he just say what I think he said? No. It couldn't have been. I must have heard him wrong. I must have._  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
  
"I think we should break up."  
  
 _I'm dreaming, right? This is some sort of nightmare. A cruel joke. April fools in September. Anything but reality._  
  
"You…what?"  
  
Jane could literally feel her heart breaking. She felt like she couldn't breath. She had completely forgotten how and she was surely going to suffocate.  
  
"I don't…I don't understand. I thought. I mean. I thought you were going to…to…propose."  
  
"Oh, honey. I did think about it. I did. It's just, well, my brother just got engaged and she just graduated at the top of her class from Harvard Med. And you…you're great sweetie. You are. But you're not exactly a medical student."  
  
"So…so I'm not good enough for you now? You couldn't find some time in the last seven years to tell me this before now? On our anniversary?!"  
  
"Well, technically our anniversary is tomorrow, so-"  
  
Jane's glare cut him off.  
  
 _I can't believe this. He doesn't think I'm good enough for him. He really thinks he can find someone who loves him more than I do? Well, he won't. He can't. So he will change his mind._  
  
 _He just has to._  
  
Tears filling her eyes, she followed him to the car, determined to find a way to win him back.


	2. Alone

Maura Isles was smart. Really smart. That was always how people remembered her. She was "the smart one" or "that genius girl." Most days, she didn't mind. Going to medical school had been her dream for as long as she could remember and everything she did was dedicated toward making that happen.  
  
Sure, it bothered her when the kids in her class picked on her in fifth grade. After skipping both second and then fourth grades, she was by far the youngest in her class and the others never let her forget it. They thought she was weird. Annoying. Boring.  
  
"Maura-The-Bora."  
  
Luckily, she would never have to hear that again. Being in med school, even being three years younger than most, she had easily completed the usual four years of undergraduate study in just three, most people left her along, but that was just fine. She knew they talked about her behind her back, she had heard the new nickname on more than one occasion.  
  
"Queen of the dead."  
  
At least that one was a bit more creative. She didn't really get why everyone was so put off by the fact that she wanted to be a pathologist. It wasn't that strange.  
  
True, many of her classmates had dreams of being a fancy surgeon or curing cancer or something, but what was wrong with wanting to speak for the dead? To find out what killed them? Or who killed them?  
  
Someone had to do it. And one day, she would. And Maura would be good at it. The best, even. She would excel, like she always did.  
  
So what if no one understood her?  
  
 _They don't know what I've been through._  
  
Sitting in her dorm, she sorted through her emails. Lots of sales at all her favorite stores, reminder about a test next week, a few study group invites. That was the one thing she always got invited to. Who didn't want the genius girl at their study group?  
  
And one from her aunt. Maura scanned the contents quickly, usually she didn't hear much rom her aunt and uncle unless it was important.  
  
 _Maura,_  
 _ _Hello darling, I hope school is going well. I am writing because your uncle and I will be in town this weekend and we were hoping you could join us for dinner. Our dear friend Emily has invited her grandson to down and we thought you would get along wonderfully. See you Friday at eight._  
 _All my love,_  
 _Constance__  
  
Great. Another set up. When was her aunt going to learn that these "suitable boys" just didn't like girls like her? Those guys found her just as boring as everyone else she had ever met.  
  
Besides, lately Maura had been wondering if she wanted to ever find a husband at all. Sure, she wanted to get married someday, have a couple kids, but maybe not with a man.  
  
Of course, she could never tell her aunt and uncle this. Maura had seen what happened to Carol, the girl from prep school. She was the type that everyone had always assumed to be gay, but no one dared talk about it. Then one day, she finally came out to her parents. They kicked her out and no one saw her at school again. It had been quite the scandal.  
  
Her aunt had gone on about it for weeks. What a disgrace, she had said. Such a shame, she had said. What a disappointment.  
  
So there was no way Maura could ever admit that she tended to find the female form much more appealing than those of the guys she was constantly being set up with. Surely being alone would be less disappointing.  
  
Maura sent a quick reply to her aunt letting her know she would be there Friday evening and went back to her studying.  
  


*****

  
Friday evening came way too quickly for Maura's liking. At seven, she made her way down to the cab waiting for her and stared out the window as she travelled to her aunt and uncle's apartment.  
  
Usually they didn't like New York, one of the reasons Maura had chosen to attend Columbia for medical school, instead of Harvard. After spending four years at BCU with them just down the street, Maura needed a break from her family, needed to get away from being a constant disappointment.  
  
All she ever wanted was to make her parents proud, and after they died, she just wanted to make her aunt and uncle proud. So she studied. She was always at the top of her class, she took the hardest courses and aced them, went to some of the best schools. But it was never enough.  
  
 _Nothing will ever be enough until I have a ring on my finger._  
  
As the cab pulled up in front of their building, the doorman quickly helped her out, holding her hand and retrieving her purse for her.  
  
"Good evening, Miss Isles."  
  
"Hello Henry, how are you this evening?" Maura replied with a smile.  
  
"Very well, thank you."  
  
"And how is Cindy? And Kevin?"  
  
"They are wonderful, Miss Isles, thank you for asking."  
  
Maura smiled in response and made her way to the elevator, pressing the top button. Growing up, her aunt had always told her she was too friendly with "the help," but it was a habit she never got rid of. Even if they were being paid to be nice to her, at least they weren't making fun of her.  
  
When she entered the apartment, her coat and bag were taken immediately and she was led to the living room where her uncle sat reading the paper.  
  
"Hello Uncle Richard."  
  
"Maura! So good to see you. How is school?"  
  
"It's going well. I just found out a received an A on a paper I wrote last week."  
  
"Well, no surprise there. You have always been the smart one. Your aunt should be in shortly."  
  
With that, he returned to his paper.  _Guess that's enough about me,_  she thought, taking a seat on the couch opposite her uncle.  
  
As promised, her aunt came in the room moments later. An older woman Maura recognized as their friend Emily and a boy close to her age at her side.  
  
He wasn't unattractive.  
  
In fact, by most standards, he would be considered quite the male specimen. His dark black hair fell just below his eyes and Maura noticed his strong features and a hint of facial hair, giving him a slightly scruffy five o'clock shadow. Most girls would be rather taken with him. But Maura wasn't most girls.  
  
"Oh, good, darling, you're here."  
  
Maura stood and gave her aunt the customary kiss on both cheeks, then gave the same to Emily.  
  
"Maura, you remember Emily, of course. And this is her grandson."  
  
"Gabriel" he stated, shaking her hand and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "Pleasure to meet you."  
  
"You too."  
  
"Gabe is going to be attending Columbia in the fall as well. He is going to be a surgeon one day," Emily started, giving Maura the run down on everything about her grandson.  
  
Half listening to the woman going on and on about Gabriel's accomplishments, Maura once again took her seat, trying not to tense up when Gabriel sat beside her, a little too close for her taste.  
  
"Well, we will leave you two alone for a bit" Constance said, dragging Emily and Richard into the other room.  
  
This was the moment Maura always dreaded. It was easy to ignore him with the distraction of others. It was easy to drop out of the conversation. Now she had to pay attention.  
  
"So, you go to Columbia?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes, I just started my third year."  
  
"I bet you've been to some awesome parties. I mean, it's New York City, people really know how to have a good time, I'm sure."  
  
 _So he was one of those._  
  
"I don't really go to parties."  
  
Here we go. He was already giving her that look. Everyone did it eventually. He gave her that "what kind of persona are you?" look. Like she was some sort of alien or something.  
  
"What? Why not? It's the best part of college. We have some awesome parties at BCU."  
  
"It's just not my thing."  
  
 _Of course, the fact that I've never been invited to one doesn't help._  
  
"Oh." He seemed to be at a loss for what to say next.  
  
 _Why do I always have to take the lead?_  
  
"Look, we don't have to do this. Pretend like we have anything in common, like we will ever see each other again after tonight. We can just pretend to get along and part amicably at the end of the evening. I'm used to it, it's fine."  
  
"Um…okay then."  
  
The rest of the evening passed far too slowly, but eventually came to an end. Maura returned to her room and started up the documentary she had recorded while she had been gone.  
  
 _Well, guess I should get used to nights like this._  
  
She sighed to her empty apartment, looking around with a sad look in her eyes.  
  
 _Am I destined to be alone forever?_


	3. What You Want

It had been three days since Gabe had broken up with her and Jane wasn't any closer to getting him back. She still didn't fully understand why they had broken up in the first place.  
  
 _Why doesn't he think I'm good enough for him? I know I'm not exactly a genius or anything, but I'm smart. I got A's and B's in high school. I have a 3.89 GPA for Christ's sake. What more does he want?_  
  
 _Is it because I'm not going to be a doctor?_  
  
Jane had been pondering this since it first crossed her mind two days ago. He said his brother, who was also a doctor, was marrying a soon-to-be doctor. Both his parents were doctors.  
  
Could it really be that simple?  
  
 _I have to be a doctor._  
  
Jane wasn't an idiot. She knew medical school was hard to get into and it certainly wasn't going to be easy to pass all the classes. But if it was the only way, she didn't really have a choice.  
  
She had to get him back.  
  


*****

  
"Jane? You can come in now."  
  
Jane followed the older woman into her office and took a seat in the chair in front of her desk. The woman grabbed a folder from the pile next to her and flipped to the last page.  
  
"What can I do for you today? You're all set for graduation in the spring already."  
  
"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately, and I know this is going to sound totally crazy, believe me. I know. But…" Jane paused, realizing she wouldn't be able to take it back once she said it out loud. "I want to go to medical school."  
  
"Medical school?"  
  
"Yes. I told you it would sound crazy."  
  
"But you're a photography major. Why the sudden interest in medicine?"   
  
 _To win back the love of my life._  
  
"I just really feel like it's something I'm meant to do."  
  
Not a total lie.  
  
"Well, okay, if you're certain you've thought it through. Have you thought about where you might want to go?"  
  
"Um…Columbia."  
  
"Jane, that's a top ten school! It's incredibly difficult to get into."  
  
"I know. But…is it possible?"  
  
"Well, your GPA is fine. Photography major is a bit unusual. Biology or Chemistry would have been better, but not much you can do about that now. You will have to take a few more science classes next semester. You might need to take an extra semester-"  
  
"No!" Jane said a little too quickly. "No. It needs to be next fall."  
  
"Well, it's early in the semester, I can probably squeeze you into one now. Good thing you took all those science electives."  
Jane had originally taken them just so she could spend a little extra time with Gabriel. They had sat next to each other in class, studied together. Even if Jane couldn't have cared less about it, who knew it would end up paying off?  
  
"If you take six classes in the spring, I think we can make it."  
  
"Okay. I can do that."  
  
"Then there's the issue of the MCAT's. You will need at least a 35 if you want to get into Columbia. Preferably higher to offset your, uh, lack of experience."  
  
"Okay, well that shouldn't be too hard."  
  
"I must warn you, Jane, it will be hard. You will likely have to dedicate all your free time to making this happen."  
  
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes."  
  
With that, Jane left the office and headed back to her room. This just had to work. On her way back, she stopped at the bookstore and picked up a book on the MCATs. Maybe Jess and Sam would help her study.  
  
"First I just have to figure out how to tell them…" Jane muttered to herself. "Not to mention, tell my parents…"  
  


*****

  
"Hey Jane, where ya been?" Sam asked when she walked through the door a few minutes later.  
  
"Advisement appointment."  
  
"Advisement? For what? I thought you already had next semester planned out?"  
  
"I did, but…things have changed."  
  
"What are you talking about?  
  
"I've decided to go to medical school next year." Jane said in a rush. The more she said it out loud, the more it started to feel real. Possible. Attainable.  
  
"Medical school?" Sam and Jess both exclaimed, a shocked look reaching their eyes.  
  
"Yeah, medical school. It's the only way to get Gabe back."  
  
"Jane, seriously? Don't you think this is a bit extreme?" Jess asked.  
  
"Possibly. But I have to do it. It's the only way. I hope you guys can support that."  
  
"Of course, Jane. You're our best friend. We always support you, even when you're doing something crazy." Sam said, giving Jane a quick hug.  
  
"Especially when you're doing something crazy." Jess embraced her from the other side, pulling the three of them into a group hug.  
  
"Okay, okay, enough with the displays of affection. C'mon, I need your help figuring out what to tell my parents."

*****

  
"Pop, please try to understand. I just want to do more with my life. I want to do something important. Make a difference."

"But medical school? Janie, I'm a plumber. How on earth do you think we could afford to send you to medical school? In New York of all places!"

"I've already looked into it. I should be able to get enough financial aid to cover most of it, and I can take out student loans to cover the rest." Jane explained it to him, willing her father to see her point of view. "Daddy, this is important to me."

Frank Sr. let out a sign, looking his daughter in the eye. Never before had he seen such desperation from his daughter. Obviously she was passionate about this. And he knew that when his daughter set her mind to something, there was no stopping her.

"Okay, you get in and your mother and I will support you in any way we can."

Frank knew he had said the right thing when Jane jumped up from her seat on the couch and hugged him tightly around the neck. That was a very rare occurrence and he did everything he could to prolong the experience.

"Thank you, daddy."

*****

"Come on, Jane, an evening off won't kill you. You have been studying every night for weeks."

"You guys go ahead. I only have two weeks before the test and I want to know I did everything I could."

"If you stay, we stay."

Sam and Jess sad down next to Jane on her bed, Jess picked up the stack of flashcards in front of them and began quizzing Jane.

The company was much appreciated. Jane had no idea what she would have done without the two of them. They had spent countless hours and more than a few sleepless nights testing her knowledge on medical facts and terminology.

The truth is, Jane had always been smart. She was great at studying and had an excellent memory, but school had never been her priority. Throughout high school and college, she had always worked just hard enough to keep her athletic eligibility and channeled the rest of her efforts into sports.

Good thing volleyball season is over.

When it finally came time to take the test, Jane actually felt really great about it. She knew she had studied as much as she could have and even though the test was hard, she felt confident about the information and answered many of the questions with ease.

Four weeks later, Jane sat on the edge of her seat, hand on the computer mouse, curser hovering above the link in the email that let her know her school was available. Jess and Sam surrounded her on both sides and after nearly three minutes of staring at the screen, Sam reached over and clicked the link for her.

Jane's jaw dropped.

"39?!"

Jane felt her heart begin to race and she tried to ignore the tear threatening to escape from her eye. She felt her friend's embrace her and continued to sit there, stunned, while Jess and Sam ran out to tell the rest of their friends.

And for the first time since Gabriel had broken her heart five months ago, Jane actually felt happy.


	4. Something About You

When Jane arrived at Columbia, she had one thing on her mind. Find Gabe and find him fast. Luckily, she was still friends with his sister Rachel and had managed to convince her to copy down his class schedule, so Jane knew that if nothing else, they at least had two of their classes together.  
  
It turned out that Jane wouldn't be able to find him before their 10AM class the next day. Jane arrived a full twenty minutes early, hoping to get a chance to talk to Gabe before class started. When she finally spotted him ten minutes later, she avoided his eye while making sure she was well in his line of sight.  
  
"Jane?"  
  
"Gabe! What are you doing here?" she asked him, feigning innocence.  
  
"What am I doing here? I go to school here! What are you doing here? Did you…did you follow me here or something?"  
  
He looked beyond shocked. In that moment, Jane was certain he had fully expected to never see her again.  
  
"No. No, of course not. I go here."  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."  
  
"I go to school here."  
  
"You are going to med school?"  
  
No, now he looked beyond shocked.  
  
"Yeah, I figured, you know, why not?"  
  
"I, um…wow. Never would have guessed. Okay. Good for you. I should, uh, get to class."  
  
"Yeah, me too. We'll catch up after."  
  
Not waiting for an answer, Jane found an empty seat and smiled to herself when she heard he and his friend sit behind her.  
  
Jane was just beginning to plan her conversation with Gabe when a door at the front of the room opened. In walked quite possibly the most beautiful woman Jane had ever seen. She looked like she had just stepped out of a magazine. She wore a short, yet modest black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her golden hair fell around her face and the girl reached up to tuck one of the curls behind her ear.  
  
She was a doctor?  
  
 _I've never had a doctor that looked like her._  
  
Before she could consider the girl much more, the door opened again and in walked a much older, yet still somewhat attractive man.  
  
"Good morning. I'm Dr. Sloan, and this is  _Foundations of Clinical Medicine_. So if that's not where you're supposed to be, leave now. This class will be hard. Earning a good grade will be even harder. Very few will earn an A."  
  
The mystery girl began to pass out packets of paper, looking like she would rather be just about anywhere else.  
  
"This is Miss Isles," he said, gesturing toward the blonde. "She will be my teaching assistant this semester, please direct any questions or concerns to her before bothering me."  
  
Jane couldn't help but smile when she saw the girl roll her eyes, but her smile faded quickly when she heard the conversation behind her.  
  
"Dude. She's hot."  
  
"Don't even go there," she heard Gabe say. "The girl is weird. We went out once. Not worth the trouble."  
  
"Damn, what a shame."  
  
Gabriel went out with her?! Jane could no longer look at Miss Isles without wanting to strangle her. She knew he would move on, but already? And with her? This could not be happening.  
  
Jane got lost in her thoughts wondering about the other girls Gabe had possibly gone out with since they had broken up. Every woman was now a potential threat. Jane hadn't even thought about anyone other than Gabe since they had broken up.  
  
"Miss Rizzoli? Miss Rizzoli!"  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
  
She hadn't even noticed the teacher had asked her a question. Damn it, Gabe. What had he said? Oh God, this isn't good.  
  
"This isn't a class you want to be daydreaming in, Miss Rizzoli. Since you're not paying attention anyway, you should probably just leave now. And next time, be ready to learn."  
  
Kicked out of class? Really?  
  
With a sigh and the slightest roll of her eyes, Jane grabbed her bag and left the room. At least there were only ten minutes until class was dismissed anyway. But still, how embarrassing!  
  
And in front of Gabriel?!  
  
And Miss Isles!  
  
 _Just what I need, making a fool out of myself in front of some girl Gabe chose over me._  
  
Certainly the blonde had never been kicked out of class.  _One more nail in my coffin._  
  
Just then, people began exiting the classroom. Jane kept her eyes peeled for Gabe.  
  
 _This is it. This is the moment you've been waiting for._  
  
"Gabe?"  
  
"You guys go ahead," he said to his friends before turning toward her, eyes full of questions.  
  
"Jane, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I told you, I go to school here."  
  
"Yes, but why? I mean, is this some sort of plan to get me back?"  
  
 _Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes._  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
 _Of course it is, you idiot. I love you, I love you, please love me again._  
  
"Yes. I just thought it was a good idea. You know, do something more serious with my life."  
  
"Okay. Yeah, sure. Well, I really have to go. It was, uh, it was good to see you."  
  
"You too."  
  
Jane stared at him for God knows how long. She wasn't even aware that time continued to move. She barely even noticed when she heard the voice behind her.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?"  
  
It was Miss Isles. Perfect.  
  
"What? Yeah, uh, I'm fine."  
  
"Sorry about Dr. Sloan, he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes."  
  
"Then why did you choose to work for him?"  
  
"Well, his opinion comes highly respected amongst doctors and I want to acquire a top internship next year, it was a small price to pay, really. So…you're okay then?"  
  
It was all Maura could do not to follow her out of the room when Dr. Sloan had kicked her out. She wasn't even sure why. Usually she kept to herself and didn't get involved. But there was something about this girl.  
  
 _She's gorgeous._  
  
She probably wouldn't even be interested anyway. Why would she be? No one else was.  
  
"Yeah, it's no big deal. Getting kicked out of class is the least of my problems."  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."  
  
"I'm just here to get my boyfriend back. The doctor stuff? Nowhere near as important."  
  
"Oh. Well, I can't say I've ever heard of someone attending medical school for that reason."  
  
' _Why am I even talking to her? She is the enemy, remember?'_  Jane thought to herself.  
  
"Yeah, well, I like to be different."  
  
"I'm Maura, by the way." She extended a polite had to Jane, which she reluctantly took.  
  
"Jane."  
  
"Well, Jane, it was very nice to meet you," Maura replied with a smile. Before she could stop it, Jane felt herself smiling back.  
  
 _No, don't you dare smile at her!_  
  
Jane turned to leave, a scowl replacing the smile and muttered a see you later and walked back to her dorm.  
  


*****

  
That night as Maura lay in bed, willing herself to sleep, she couldn't get her mind off of Jane. It was silly, she kept telling herself, and Jane was obviously not interested. She was obviously in love with that guy.  
  
 _So why can't I stop thinking about her?_  
  
 _Maybe we can be friends?_  
  
With that, Maura finally drifted off, a smile on her face.  
  
Tonight was the first night she dreamt of Jane Rizzoli.


	5. Here's My Hello

Every day for a week, Maura would wake up to the sound of her alarm, which was rather unusual for her. Her internal clock was very reliable and she normally woke at least five minutes before her alarm. Yet everyday, the beeping would startle her and she would fight to keep the fleeting images of her time with the brunette from leaving her mind.  
  
Maura had only actually seen Jane once since their meeting; Jane had ducked into class at the last moment and when Dr. Sloan was finished, she was gone before Maura could reach her. Not that she would have known what to say if she had been able to catch up with her anyway.  
  
Maura still wasn't sure what it was about Jane that made her unable to stop thinking about her. Maybe it was because she was so different from everyone else. Maybe it's because she was actually nice to her. Maybe Maura was just really tired of not having any friends.  
  
But today they would meet again. This time, Maura was determined to talk to the other woman. She approached her closet to get dressed and realized she was a bit more excited than she should have been. She also spent a little more time than necessary picking out today's dress and spent a little too much effort on her hair and makeup.  
  
 _Why am I even doing this? It's not like she's interested in me._  
  
But that thought didn't stop her from spending an extra five minutes in front of the mirror before heading toward class.  
  
On the way to the classroom, Maura thought up ways to strike up a conversation with Jane. Everything she had thought of so far seemed forced and not quite right. The one possibility she kept coming back to was offering up her intelligence and offer to help Jane study. But would that be enough?  
  
Maura took her seat in the front of the room, anxiously waiting for a glimpse of that dark, curly hair. Finally, a moment before ten, Jane slipped in and took a seat near the back.  
  
The class went by relatively quickly and Maura thanked her lucky stars that no one came up with any questions after class. She quickly gathered her bag and raced out the door to follow where Jane went. As she reached the hallway, she saw Jane looking rather dejected as a boy with dark hair walked away from her.  
  
Maura instantly recognized him as someone she had met before, but couldn't place a name to the face.  
  
"Hello Jane" she said with a smile as she approached the other girl.  
  
"Maura" Jane replied simply. She didn't look to happy to see her.  
  
"I could help you, you know."  
  
"Help me? With what?"  
  
"Impress him. You did say that was your goal last time we met, correct? To impress your former boyfriend? Let me help."  
  
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Jane replied with a hint of venom in her voice. Maura wasn't exactly sure why Jane was so upset with her offer, but she intended to find out.  
  
"I just thought I would be nice. Friendly."  
  
"Well, I don't need you to be my friend." With that, Jane turned and walked toward the front door of the building.  
  
"Jane. Jane, wait!" Maura hurried after her. "I'm sorry. Did I do something to upset or offend you?"  
  
"I know you went out with him."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Gabriel! My boyfriend of seven years. The love of my life. Gabriel Dean. He said you went out."  
  
"Gabriel Dean? I don't remember that…" Maura trailed off and thought back as far as she could remember. Suddenly, it dawned on her.  
  
"Oh! Wait, I do remember him. I wouldn't say we went out though. I mean we never left the apartment, and it was almost a year ago, I don't think that constitutes 'going out'."  
  
Apparently, Jane didn't seem to think this was an acceptable answer because she turned once again to leave. Maura sighed and followed her out of the building, struggling to keep up with her.  
  
"Really, Jane, will you just listen to me for a moment?"  
  
Without a word, Jane stopped and stared at her, daring her to continue.  
  
"I'm not sure I understand why you're so upset, but I assure you, I never had any romantic involvement with Gabriel. Our families set us up. We had one conversation and one very awkward dinner with my aunt, uncle and his grandmother. I would hardly call that a date."  
  
"Your family set you up?" Jane asked, skepticism evident in her voice. Maura simply offered a nod in response.  
  
"So, his family, they thought you would be a good match for him? Someone suitable for him?"  
  
Maura wasn't sure why Jane had a smile on her face with these questions. Why would she be happy Gabriel's family found her to be a suitable match?  
  
"I suppose they did. My family does it all the time, I really don't think-"  
  
"Okay" Jane cut her off.  
  
"Okay, what?"  
  
"Okay, you can help me" she replied as if it was the most obvious statement in the world.  
  
"Really?" Maura was sure she was probably grinning like an idiot, but she didn't really care. This is almost like being friends.  
  
"Yeah. I want you to teach me. Teach me to be like you."  
  
"No one has ever wanted to be like me before" Maura replied, attempting to keep the sadness from her voice.  
  
 _No need to make her think you're pathetic._  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
 _It's going to be hard not to fall for you if you keep saying things like that._  
  
"Did you want to start now?"  
  
"Sure."  
  


*****

  
The walk to Maura's apartment went quickly as Jane gave her the cliff notes version of her relationship and break up with Gabe. Jane had no idea why Maura was so interested in helping her, but she wasn't going to object. Who better to help her win him back than someone his family had already approved of?  
  
When the girls arrived, Jane was surprised to see the way the blonde lived. Jane wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but this wasn't it. The entire apartment was styled with sleek steel furniture and the curtains, sofa and bedding were all white with pops of bright green. Jane expected something a bit more…posh, not this industrial style apartment.  
  
"Wow," she said, clearly impressed, "Nice place."  
  
"Thanks. My aunt and uncle hate it, but I really love it. All the places they wanted me to live were just too stuffy."  
  
Maura handed her a bottle of water and the two settled at Maura's kitchen table and began studying. Jane wasn't surprised to learn that the blonde was an excellent study partner and an even better teacher. She was excellent at breaking down the more complicated aspects so Jane could better understand them.  
  
After a couple hours, the conversation turned from the information about class to a more in depth retelling of Jane's relationship with Gabriel. When she was finished, Maura gave her a play-by-play of her evening with him and Jane was happy to hear Maura really didn't have any sort of romantic interest in him.  
  
 _Good, I could really use a friend right now, and she's really not so bad._  
  
"You said your aunt and uncle set you up?"  
  
"Yea. They do that a lot. They won't be happy until I'm married to a 'suitable man'," she said, using air quotes. "Their words, not mine."  
  
"What about your parents?"  
  
Instantly, Jane knew she had said the wrong thing. She could visibly see Maura tense up and she watched as a wave of sadness passed across her face.  
  
"My parents were killed when I was nine."  
  
"Oh geez, Maura, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."  
  
"It's okay. You couldn't have known. It's just not something I talk about."  
  
Jane reached over and covered Maura's hand with her own, giving it a small squeeze. She gave the blonde a small smile to assure her she was finished with the conversation.  
  
Maura returned the smile and the two went back to their studying, though neither could stop thinking about Maura's confession.


	6. Stand By Me

Over the next couple of weeks, Jane and Maura continued to meet up a few times a week and Maura would help her study and then in turn, Jane would answer all Maura's questions about her life, her friends, her family. Jane quickly learned just how much Maura had missed out on in her life and she wanted to help her as much as she possibly could.  
  
It was Friday night and her roommate, Nicole, had invited Jane to a party. Even though normally, she wouldn't have gone, Nicole had said Gabriel would be there, so how could she pass that up? She extended the invite to Maura, who had originally suggested the two watch a movie at her apartment, and Maura had quickly accepted.  
  
This is why Jane was currently sitting cross-legged on Maura's bed, watching her friend obsess over what outfit to wear. Maura scoffed at her when she refused to wear a dress, but Jane was perfectly fine in her dark skinny jeans, black leather boots and simple black top. Maura, however, couldn't decide what to wear and it was driving her crazy.  
  
"C'mon, Maur, hurry it up! Just pick something!"  
  
"Patience, Jane. I'm just not sure about the protocol here. I've never been to a party and-"  
  
"Wait, you've never been to a party?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Never?"  
  
"No. No one has ever invited me to one before."  
  
This time, Maura couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes and she tried not to stiffen too much when she felt Jane pull her into a hug. And she especially tried not to think about the fact that Jane was hugging her while she stood there in nothing more than her bra and underwear.  
  
"Well, now you've got me. And you can always come with me if you want, okay?"  
  
Maura gave her a slight nod and finally pulled on a simple blue dress. She added a few accessories, and then grabbed her purse, but Jane could see she was still hesitant. Before she could ask, however, Maura broke the silence.  
  
"Jane, are we friends?"  
  
Of all the things Jane could have expected to hear, that was not one of them. She tried not to look too taken aback and shot Maura a smile.  
  
"Of course we're friends, Maura."  
  
In that moment, Jane decided she would do just about anything to see the smile that had appeared on her friend's face.  
  
"Now, we've got a party to get to. You ready for this?"  
  
Maura's only response was a smile and Jane opened the door, leading Maura out into the hallway.  
  


*****

  
The party had already started long before Jane and Maura had made their appearance. Jane quickly walked to the kitchen and grabbed a beer for herself and a bottle of water for Maura. When she made her way back to Maura, who had found them a space on the couch, she handed her friend the water and sat next to her.  
  
"So," Maura began, "this is a party."  
  
Jane could tell Maura was uncomfortable, especially since she probably didn't know anyone here. The room was filled with mostly first years and Jane wouldn't be able to name most of them, she only recognized them from her classes.  
  
"Yep. We don't have to stay too long if you don't want. I just want to talk to Gabriel for a few minutes. Then we can go watch that movie."  
  
Maura nodded in response and surveyed the room, pointing toward the hallway.  
  
"There."  
  
Jane's head snapped in that direction and she quickly stood, handing Maura her beer.  
  
"Be right back."  
  
She was nearly shaking by the time she reached Gabriel. When will he realize what a huge mistake he's made?  
  
"Hey Gabe."  
  
"Jane. Nice to see you," he replied politely.  
  
All of a sudden, Jane felt a surge of anger rise up inside her. She couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "Is that really all you can say to me?"  
  
To say he looked taken aback was an understatement.  
  
"We were together for seven years. Don't you miss me at all? Don't you wonder what it would be like, both of us here, going to med school together? Isn't that what you wanted?"  
  
"Hey baby, sorry I'm late" a voice from behind her interrupted and she watched as the girl put her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.  
  
Jane's jaw dropped. She could feel her heart breaking all over again. She didn't even notice when Maura, who had been watching from her spot on the couch, moved to stand beside her.  
  
"Jane, this is Victoria. My girlfriend."  
  
"Your…girlfriend?"  
  
"Victoria Spencer. Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."  
  
Victoria extended her hand, then looked to Maura when Jane ignored her.  
  
"Hello Victoria. Maura Isles, Jane's friend." Maura shook her hand before turning to Jane.  
  
"Were you ready to leave?" she asked the brunette before adding to Gabe and Victoria, "We have other plans, we just wanted to stop by first."  
  
Since Jane now appeared incapable of speaking, Maura grabbed her arm and all but dragged her out of the apartment, yelling a "See you later!" over her shoulder.  
  


*****

  
Once outside and a safe distance from the building, Maura led Jane to a nearby park bench and sat her down.  
  
"Jane, are you okay? You haven't spoken in…" she paused as she looked down at her watch, "twelve minutes and forty-six seconds."  
  
"Thank you." Jane said simply.  
  
"For what?" Maura asked, a confused look on her face.  
  
"For having my back. You're a good friend, Maura."  
  
Maura tried really hard to keep from beaming at the comment. She knew Jane was upset, but it was hard not to be happy that she had done something good for her friend.  
  
"Always, Jane."  
  
The two sat on the bench for a bit longer before beginning the walk back to Maura's apartment. Maura could feel her heartbreak a little more every time he glanced over at Jane. If she had been more prone to violence, she would have punched Gabriel Dean in the face for upsetting Jane the way he did.  
  
 _How could anyone not want to be around her all the time? Sure, she was a little rough around the edges, but inside, she's the most caring person I've ever met. She's certainly the best friend I've ever had._  
  
 _Well, the only friend I've ever had._  
  


*****

  
Back in Maura's apartment, the two settled on the couch and Jane popped in the movie. She rolled her eyes only slightly when she saw the DVD was a romantic comedy.  
  
"Really, Maur? A Jennifer Aniston movie?"  
  
"What? She's a great actress."  
  
"It's just not what I would have expected. I thought you'd have me watching some documentary or some foreign movie with subtitles."  
  
"You are correct, I do typically enjoy watching those types of movies, however even I have some guilty pleasures, Jane. Besides, I knew you wouldn't enjoy them."  
  
"Probably not" Jane agreed with a small laugh. Her face then took on a slightly more serious look and she added, "but I would watch them with you. If you wanted."  
  
Jane wasn't entirely sure why she had just willingly offered to watch what sounded like the most boring "movies" ever made, but she felt this strong desire to make sure Maura was happy. She grabbed the remote and pressed play.  
  
She glanced over at the blonde and saw her smile, the same one she had before the party.  
  
 _Yep, totally worth it._  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Jane saw Maura let out a yawn. It was getting a bit late and Maura wanted them to get an early start on studying tomorrow. Maybe a movie wasn't the best idea.  
  
"Are you too tired for this? We can save it for tomorrow if you'd rather."  
  
"No, it's fine. I'm good."  
  
The truth was, Maura was exhausted. She probably was too tired for the movie, no doubt she would likely fall asleep before it was finished, but she really didn't want Jane to leave yet.  
  
"At least lay down. That way you'll be more comfortable if you do fall asleep."  
  
Jane moved toward the outside edge of the couch and motioned for Maura to lay next to her. The blonde hesitated, unsure if it was wise for her to be so close to her friend.  
  
"C'mon, I don't bite."  
  
The two settled on the couch together, Maura resting her head on Jane's shoulder and the two turned to toward the screen.  
  
Maura wasn't watching the movie though, her only thought was on the woman next to her and her failing attempt to keep her heart from racing.  
Jane, on the other hand, was trying her best not to question exactly why she felt so happy laying her next to Maura.


	7. Don't Stand So Close To Me

The next morning, when Maura woke, she quickly slammed her eyes shut once again when she realized how bright it was.  
  
 _It's not this bright in my room. Where is all this light coming from?_  
  
It quickly came back to her when she heard the faint snoring next to her.  
  
Jane.  
  
She is still here. Why is she still here?  
  
Maura peeked out at her friend, trying to avoid the sun as much as possible. Jane's face was mere inches from hers as Jane lay on her side facing her.  
  
It wasn't until then that Maura noticed the arm draped across her waist and her own resting on the brunette's. She snapped her eyes shut once again when she felt Jane pull her in closer and nestle further into her neck.  
  
 _She probably just thinks she's cuddling with Gabriel. She is asleep, after all. It doesn't mean anything._  
  
Realizing there was no way to escape without waking her, Maura willed herself back to sleep.  
  


*****

  
A couple of hours later, Jane felt herself waking from a rather pleasant dream. Immediately she forgot what it was about, but she did remember Maura was there and it left her with a happy, content feeling.  
  
That happy feeling quickly turned to panic, however, when she realized just how close to Maura she currently was. She wasn't just close. They were cuddling.  
  
 _Great. What's she going to think if she wakes up and sees me clinging to her like this?_  
  
As carefully as she could, she untangled herself from the blonde and sighed happily when she saw Maura was still asleep. She quickly made her way down the hall to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. What. Was. That?  
  
 _I was just cuddling with Maura! And even worse, I liked it. A lot. Thank God she didn't wake up!_  
  
Jane stared in the mirror trying to fight the smile daring to grace her lips when she thought about the blonde in the next room.  
  
"Ugh. Get ahold of yourself, Rizzoli. She is your friend. You best friend. Your  _female_  friend. You must just miss Gabe. That's all. You miss having someone to be that close to. Nothing more."  
  
Jane splashed some cold water on her face and wiped her eyes. Satisfied that she was over whatever that had been, she slipped back out of the room and headed toward the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, sleepyhead."  
  
Maura's head whipped around and she gasped, clearly startled.  
  
"Jane! I…I thought you left."  
  
There was that smile again, the one that made Jane feel like she must have just cured cancer or something.  
  
 _Man, Maura must have been really lonely before she had me._  
  
"Nope. Just down the hall. I wouldn't leave you, Maura." That last part slipped out before Jane could stop it, and she hoped it wasn't too much.  
  
"We had a breakfast study date, right?" Jane added quickly.  
  
 _Ugh, you had to call it a date, didn't you? When did it get so awkward? Oh yeah, probably when you woke up with your arms around each other._  
  
"Yes, we did. You have a test tomorrow and I'm going to make sure you get the highest score in the class." Maura smiled at her before adding, "And not just because I'm the one grading them."  
  
Jane let out a laugh, "Damn it, you caught on to my plan."  
  
Maura's face fell immediately, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Jane.  
  
 _Is she really only being nice to me so I give her a good grade in the class? I thought we were friends. Of course she wouldn't really want to be my friend. No one else does, what would make her different?_  
  
"Maura, I'm sorry, I was just kidding."  
  
The blonde gave her a slight smile, but Jane could see right through it. After all Maura had shared with her in the last few weeks, she should have known better than to joke about something like that.  
  
"It's just," Maura started, "You're the first person to spend time with me just because you wanted to."  
  
"I know, I'm sorry. I'd hang out with you even if you were the biggest idiot in the world." Maura let out a small laugh and Jane pulled her in for a hug. "Forgive me?"  
  
Maura nodded and noticed that Jane held on to her for a few seconds longer than really necessary. Not that Maura minded.  
  
"Breakfast?"  
  


*****

  
When Jane finally returned to her dorm that night, she found her roommate sitting on her bed, laptop and medical book spread out before her.  
  
"Hey Nicole."  
  
"Jane! Where have you been all weekend? I almost forgot I had a roommate."  
  
Jane laughed in response, sitting her back down next to her desk. "Stayed at Maura's last night. We were studying."  
  
And cuddling, her mind reminded her.  
  
She sighed a bit, looking hesitant before she spoke again.  
  
"How come you didn't tell me Gabriel was seeing someone?"  
  
"What?! Jane, I had no idea, I'm so sorry! Who is it?"  
  
"Victoria Spencer." The venom was heavy as Jane spoke.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes! They were at the party last night."  
  
"I'm so sorry Jane, had I known, I would have never suggested you go."  
  
"Yeah, it's okay. Mind if I turn out the lights? I want to rest up for the test tomorrow."  
  
"Sure" Nicole replied simply, not certain if Jane was actually upset with her or not.  
  
Jane hadn't actually been all that tired, but her mind was still racing thinking about Gabriel and Victoria.  
  
And Maura.  
  
Wait. What?  
  
No. Not Maura.  
  
 _Ugh, it's going to be a long night._  
  


*****

  
The next night, Maura sat at her kitchen table, a stack of exams in front of her. She quickly flipped through, found Jane's and brought it to the top of the stack.  
  
When she made it to the bottom of the last page, she had a grin on her face. Before she could stop herself, she had written:  
  
"Great job, Jane. I knew you could do it. :)"  
  
 _Oh god. Did I really just put a smiley face on her test? What am I, twelve? And it's in ink! No taking that one back. At least it wasn't a heart._  
  
Maura groaned and flipped to the first page, adding a 94% to the top. She then moved through the stack and grabbed the one labeled 'Gabriel Dean.'  
  
As she graded the test, her grin only grew larger and she felt a small sense of satisfaction when she wrote 68% on his.  
  
 _Ha! Not as smart as you thought, are you?_  
  
A buzzing on the table next to her interrupted her thoughts and she quickly reached for her phone when she saw whom the text was from.  
  
"Did you grade my test yet?"  
  
"Even if I had, you know I can't tell you until we get to class."  
  
Actually, Maura could easily tell her now, no one would really care. But truth be told, Maura didn't want to miss the look on her friend's face when she saw her score.  
  
"Pretty please! It's driving me crazy!"  
  
"No! You can wait until Wednesday. I'm sure you did great."  
  
"Well, I had a wonderful teacher."  
  
"Aw, thanks Jane."  
  
"I meant Dr. Sloan. ;)"  
  
"You can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes at you right now."  
  
"Goodnight, Maura."  
  
"Goodnight, Jane."  
  
 *****  
  
When class started on Wednesday, Maura began handing back the graded tests, saving Jane's fro last. She sat the packet face down on her desk, and then walked the few steps to her own.  
  
She caught Jane's eye and noticed just how nervous she was. Maura shot her a reassuring smile and Jane finally picked up the paper.  
  
The look on her face was worth the two days of avoiding her. A huge grin broke out on Jane's face as she flipped through the pages.  
  
Maura felt a blush creep up her cheeks as Jane read her comment on the final page. Jane must've not minded though because she beamed even more as she read it.  
  
Looking up, she caught Maura's eyes and mouthed her a thank you before turning her focus back to class.


	8. Rescue Me

The next Saturday night, Jane made her way upstairs to Maura's apartment. As a thank you for helping her ace her first test, Jane planned to make the blonde dinner and watch one of her documentaries with her.  
  
Maura opened the door looking flustered a few minutes after she knocked. She gave Jane a surprised look and she immediately knew that Maura had forgotten their dinner.  
  
"Jane! What are you doing here? Are those for me?" she asked, pointing to the flowers in her hand.  
  
"Um, yeah. Just wanted to properly thank you for all your help over the last few weeks."  
  
"Oh my gosh! Jane, I'm so sorry! Our dinner. I forgot!" Maura exclaimed, shooting Jane an apologetic smile.  
  
"Oh. Well, that's okay." Jane tried not to look too upset, even though she was clearly disappointed.  
  
 _Maura forgot about me?_  
  
"No, no, it's definitely not okay. I'm so sorry. My aunt dropped by unexpectedly and as a result, I'm a bit frazzled."  
  
"Oh, okay. I get that. It's okay. Totally understandable. I'll just go. We can do this another night." Jane turned to walk back toward the elevator before Maura grabbed her arm, physically pulling her back toward the apartment.  
  
"No, please. Don't go. She won't stay long, then we can have our dinner. Please? I've been looing forward to it all week."  
  
Jane glanced into the living room hesitantly, thinking it over. She really didn't want to leave, but meeting Maura's aunt was so not on her agenda. She's got the feeling the two of them wouldn't get along too well.  
  
"I don't know, Maura."  
  
"Don't make me beg, Jane. I'll do it, but it won't be pretty."  
  
Jane was suddenly hyper-aware of Maura's hand still on her arm. If Jane didn't know any better, she would have thought Maura was coming on to her.  
  
But she did know better.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Jane threw up her hands in defeat and couldn't help but smile at the grin on Maura's face. She followed the blonde into the apartment, stopping as Maura shut the door behind them.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, placing a light kiss on Jane's cheek.  
  
 _Did she just kiss me?_  
  
Before Jane could think about it any longer, however, she was interrupted by Constance walking through the door.  
  
"Darling, who was at the door?"  
  
"Aunt Constance, this is my friend Jane. We were supposed to spend the evening together."  
  
To say Constance was startled would be an understatement. Maura had never even gone to a sleepover or birthday party and now she had a good enough friend that she would invite her over for the evening.  
  
"Well, Jane, lovely to meet you. I must say, I've never met one of Maura's friends before."  
  
Jane reluctantly shook her hand, sizing her up, almost daring her to say something against Maura.  
  
"Don't let me hold you girls up, I just came to drop off a couple tickets to my gallery opening next week. Maura, dear, lovely to see you. Jane, nice to meet you."  
  
"It was great to see you, too" Maura replied, a bit stiffly.  
  
"Don't forget to call Christopher and Caitlin's son and invite him to go to the opening with you."  
  
"Of course."  
  
The two shared a few customary kisses on the cheeks and Constance left the apartment. Without looking, Maura already knew Jane was rolling her eyes.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"What?" Jane asked, feigning innocence.  
  
"Say it. I know you want to."  
  
"Is that how she always acts toward you?"  
  
"Basically, yes."  
  
"So, she just came by to try and force you to date some guy?"  
  
"That's what she does. She thinks I won't be happy until I'm married."  
  
"Does she know you at all?"  
  
"Not really, no."  
  
Jane pulled her into a hug and before she could stop it, a tear rolled down her cheek. Within seconds, Maura was crying harder than she had in a long time.  
  
Jane held her through all of it, running her fingers through the blonde's hair. When she finally calmed down, Jane pulled back a bit and wiped her friend's tears from her face.  
  
"You really have no idea, do you?"  
  
"About what, Jane?"  
  
Jane took a deep breath, pulling just far enough away from Maura to look in her eyes, but still keeping her arms wrapped around her back. Looking down at the blonde, a smile appeared on her face.  
  
"You're really amazing. Like, truly. You fascinate me, in the best way. And you have no idea how great you are. But I think you might be the most amazing person I've ever met."  
  
"You really mean that?"  
  
Jane nodded in response and another set of tears rolled down Maura's cheeks, but this time for a much different reason.  
  
"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, Jane. Thank you."  
  
Jane smiled and gave her another hug before walking into the kitchen, needing to take a little break from all the emotions.  
  
"I thought I would make my mom's lasagna, if that's okay with you?"  
  
Maura nodded and grabbed the bag of groceries Jane had sat down on the bar stool next to the counter, watching Jane's every move.  
  
The two sat in a comfortable silence; Jane refused to let Maura help her prepare the meal, so the blonde simply watched her move around the room like she belonged there. When she was finally finished, Jane served two plates and the girls sat at the corner and dug in.  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
Jane really didn't want to return to their pre-dinner atmosphere and she certainly didn't want to make Maura cry again, but the question had been eating at her for weeks and she couldn't ignore it anymore.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."  
  
"Jane, what is it?"  
  
Jane looked hesitant. Maybe they weren't close enough yet for this conversation. Insecurity swept over her as she tried to work up the nerve to say the words.  
  
"What happened to your parents?"  
  
Maura blinked rapidly, a blank, yet sad look on her face. Immediately, Jane regretted asking. The two sat in a tense silence for a moment before Jane spoke again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Maura. You don't have to say anything. I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"It's not that I don't want you to know. I just…I've never really talked about it. With anyone. I wouldn't know where to start."  
  
"Well…what were they like?"  
  
Maura instantly smiled, the image of her mom and dad coming to the forefront of her mind.  
  
"They were amazing. My mom was so smart. She was a doctor, a pediatrician. She was the kindest person and she was so beautiful. I still remember sitting in her office when she would be doing her research, she got me this doll, you could take out all her organs and parts and put them back in."  
  
Maura paused and let out a chuckle. Without thinking, Jane reached over and rested her hand on Maura's arm, rubbing small circles on her skin.  
  
"I loved that doll. When I got older, she'd let me read her books and she would always answer all my questions, no matter what she was working on. I wanted to be just like her. She was my hero."  
  
Jane smiled at her, bringing her hand up to brush away Maura's lone tear before resting it on her arm again.  
  
"My dad was amazing too. He stayed with me while my mom was at work. He didn't really work, really. He just went out sometimes at night. I'm really not sure what he did when he wasn't watching me, to be honest.  
  
"He was great though, made me breakfast every morning, took me to school, picked me up after. He would even take me to ballet class. He used to call me his little princess."  
  
"They sound like they were great people."  
  
Maura had almost forgotten Jane was there, having gotten wrapped up in her memories. She smiled at Jane and covered the brunette's hand with her own.  
  
"They really were. All I ever wanted to do was make them proud of me."  
  
"They would be, Maur, I know it."  
  
"Thank you, Jane."  
  
The two sat in silence for a few moments before Maura spoke again.  
  
"They died when I was nine. I was with my aunt and uncle. They went out to dinner for their anniversary. They were both stabbed leaving the restaurant. They bled out before the ambulance even arrived."  
  
Jane stood and walked behind Maura, pulling her into an embrace. She felt Maura lean back into her and let out a sigh.  
  
"They never found the killer. There were no witnesses, no DNA, no evidence. It was like it never happened. Only it did."  
  
A few more tears escaped. Maura was surprised she had any left in her. As sad as it made her to talk though, part of her was relieved to finally have someone to tell.  
  
"That was what made me want to be a pathologist. I've always wondered if maybe they missed something. I want to make sure no one else grows up with all the questions I had."  
  
"They would be so proud of you, Maura."  
  
Jane took Maura's hand and led her over to the couch. The two sat down, a bit closer than they would normally. Instinctively, Jane wrapped an arm around the blonde and felt Maura rest her head on her shoulder.  
  
"Thank you for telling me."  
  
"Thank you for listening."  
  
"Always" Jane replied, grabbing the remote and starting Maura's documentary.  
  
"Always."


	9. Falling For You

It was a week before Thanksgiving and it seemed like everyone was racing to finish papers or cram for tests. Jane and Maura continued to spend most nights studying together, but tonight, for once, Jane was on her own. Maura had told her she needed to take the evening to finish some research for Dr. Sloan, so Jane decided she would take Nicole up on her study group invite.  
  
The group was to meet at the library at eight and Jane was right on time. She quickly found the table where Nicole was sitting, along with a guy Jane thought was named Anthony.  
  
"Hey Jane, glad you could make it. You remember David?"  
  
 _Oops. Not even close._  
  
"Yeah, good to see you." She nodded in his direction, and then looked up when she saw two others walk up to their table.  
  
 _Oh, no._  
  
"Gabe! You made it!" Nicole said with a hesitant smile. "And you brought Victoria. Wonderful."  
  
Though she attempted to sound polite, Jane could see right through her façade. Nicole mouthed a quick sorry in her direction.  
  
"I hope you guys don't mind," he stated.  
  
Not once had he so much as looked in Jane's direction.  
  
"No, it's fine."  
  
The five of them began going over their material. Jane was having a horrible time concentrating on the notes; she hadn't been this close to Gabe or spent this much time with him at once since they broke up.  
  
And Victoria wasn't making it easy on her. She was purposefully sitting practically on his lap, touching him, kissing him.  
  
Jane looked away quickly and did a double take when something in the corner caught her eye. Without thinking, Jane closed her notebook and grabbed her bag.  
  
"Sorry guys, I have to go."  
  
"What? Where?" Nicole asked her. She followed Jane's eyes to the corner and a knowing look came across her face. "Oh, I get it. You'd rather study with your personal tutor."  
  
Jane could tell by her tone that she wasn't really upset with her. The three of them had spent time together on more than one occasion and though she didn't really understand their friendship, she certainly didn't have a problem with Maura.  
  
"You're really friends with her?"  
  
The tone in Gabe's voice was almost enough to make Jane forget that she loved him and punch him in the face.  
  
"She doesn't seem like the type you would usually spend time with, Jane."  
  
"Well, Gabe, maybe you don't know everything about me, after all."  
  
"She must be some tutor. Can't imagine why else you would hang out with her."  
  
"She is not my tutor! She is my friend. She's the best friend I've ever had. You want to be an ass to me, fine, but leave her out of it."  
  
With that, Jane walked to the other end of the room. She couldn't believe she just yelled at him. She'd yelled at Gabe! Part of her regretted it instantly, though she couldn't feel bad about sticking up for Maura. But she loved Gabe with all her heart. She didn't want him to believe otherwise.  
  
She sat her bag down on the chair next to Maura, and sat down, letting out a huge sigh.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hello, Jane." Maura didn't even look up from her book, she just kept typing away on her laptop. A few moments passed and Maura finally looked up and caught Jane's eye.  
  
"Sorry, just wanted to finish my thought. What happened over there?" she asked, pointing toward Gabe.  
  
"I think I screwed everything up."  
  
Maura waited patiently for her to continue, knowing Jane was working through the scene in her head and just needed someone to listen.  
  
"Nicole was trying to help. She invited both Gabe and me. She thought…she thought it would help. But he brought her and I know she was trying to upset me, kissing him like that in front of me. They were trying to irritate me. And then I saw you over here."  
  
"So you only came to sit with me because they were bothering you."  
  
It wasn't a question and she didn't sound angry. She didn't even really sound sad. She just sounded…empty.  
  
"What? No. No, of course not."  
  
Jane was shocked. Didn't Maura know by now that she loved spending time with her? That she cared about her?  
  
Maura didn't reply.  
  
"Maur, come on. I came over here because you're my best friend. Not to get away from them."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
Now she sounded sad.  
  
 _Great. Way to screw up the two most important relationships in your life in less than ten minutes._  
  
"Maura-"  
  
"No, Jane, I get it. You being here, it's about him. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I forget that you're only here to impress him. He's your priority, I get it. It's okay."  
  
Jane didn't have a comeback for her. There was really no way to defend herself because Maura was right. She was here for Gabe. And she did want him back.  
  
She never planned on befriending Maura, or anyone for that matter. She had only planned on winning him back. Without another word, she grabbed her bag and walked away.  
  


*****

  
The next day, Jane woke up feeling awful.  _Why didn't I at least try to tell her that she's my priority too? She's the one who has been here for me since day one, even when I was a total bitch to her. She's been the perfect friend and I took her for granted._  
  
She grabbed her phone and navigated to her texts.  
  
"I'm really sorry about last night, Maura. Please let me make it up to you. Dinner tonight?"  
  
She never replied.  
  


*****

  
Maura didn't want to freeze Jane out, she really didn't. Truth be told, she missed her terribly and would love to have dinner with her tonight.  
  
She also wished she could tell Jane the real reason she had gotten so upset the night before.  
  
Maura had never believed in love at first sight. Lust, sure. That was all just a chain of chemical reactions anyway. But love? No way.  
  
But when Maura first saw Jane, she knew. She had no idea how, but she knew Jane would be an important part of her life.  
  
And even though she desperately tried not to, over the last three months, she had begun to fall in love with Jane.  
  
Maura had never felt anything like it, but she knew that must be what this is. Jane just made her life better. She always made Maura smile and had a way of making her forget everything bad that has happened to her.  
  
But last night, Jane had reminded her of something else Maura had almost forgotten.  
  
Jane was still in love with Gabriel.  
  
 _And she will never be in love with me._  
  
So Maura knew she needed some space. She needed to remember.  
  
Jane would never love her the way she loved Jane.  
  


*****

  
On Wednesday morning, Jane arrived in class ten minutes early, hoping to get a chance to talk to Maura, but when she walked in the room, she saw some other student was already talking to her and they didn't sit down until class started.  
  
Jane sat in the chair closest to the blonde and tried to catch her eye. No luck.  
  
Maura was obviously still ignoring her. The two continued this pattern throughout the rest of class and it wasn't until people started leaving that Jane realized it was over.  
  
Jane was at Maura's side in seconds.  
  
"Maura, can we please talk?"  
  
"Did you have a question about class?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then I don't see what we have to talk about."  
  
"Maura, come on. I'm sorry. I was an ass. Please just talk to me."  
  
Maura sighed and grabbed her bag, walking toward the door. She gave Jane a look to signal her to follow. When they were finally outside, Maura was the first to speak.  
  
"Jane, you're not an ass."  
  
"Really? Cause I sure feel like one."  
  
"You're not. I shouldn't have gotten so upset. I just get a little insecure sometimes. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."  
  
Even though Maura didn't want to give in so easily, she couldn't help it.  
  
 _Any Jane is better than no Jane._  
  
"Maura, listen to me. I'm not just hanging out with you because I don't have a better option. Or because you're a great study partner. You're my best friend and I love you. I love spending time with you, just because you're you, okay? You're not some constellation prize."  
  
Jane is so not helping with that whole not falling in love with her thing. How could she not fall in love with her when she said things like that?  
  
"You really mean that?"  
  
"I have no reason to lie to you, Maur."  
  
Before she could stop herself, Maura had flung her arms around Jane's neck, pulling her into a hug. When she felt Jane wrap her arms around her waist, she was certain nothing had ever felt so perfect.  
  
Her whole body felt like it was on fire, she wanted to be closer to her, to be as close as possible, but no matter how hard she pulled Jane toward her, it never felt like enough.  
  
And as much as she tried to tell herself not to fall in love with Jane, she knew it was useless.  
  
She was already in love with Jane Rizzoli. Nothing was going to change that now.


	10. Take Me Home Tonight

When Friday evening finally came, Jane couldn't be more excited. As much as her family drove her crazy at times, she couldn't wait to see them all again. She'd never gone near this long without seeing them and it was definitely starting to get to her.  
  
She quickly glanced around her room, checking to see if she had forgotten anything. Satisfied, she zipped her suitcase shut, grabbed her keys from her desk and headed downstairs.  
  
"You're late."  
  
"It's 6:02!"  
  
"You said you would be here at six."  
  
Jane rolled her eyes at the blonde, shooting her a smile. "Sorry, Maur. I'm here now. You ready?"  
  
"I was ready two minutes ago, Jane," Maura replied, grinning at her friend. "Come on, I got us a cab."  
  
The cab ride to Penn Station was quiet, other than their driver muttering incessantly about whatever was playing on the radio. Jane kept stealing glances at her companion throughout the ride, but Maura was always focused on the city around her, a slight smile on her face.  
  
"Happy to be going home?" Jane asked her finally.  
  
"Not really. Home is…well, you know how home is. I will spend most of the week alone. I'll probably only see my aunt and uncle on Thursday. I'm happy you're traveling with me, though."  
  
Maura smiled, but Jane could see that it didn't quite reach her eyes. She reached over and placed a hand on the blonde's forearm, squeezing it slightly.  
  
"Do you really think I'm going to let you spend the week alone?"  
  
"You're not?"  
  
"Of course not. You're always saying you wish you knew what it was like to have a family like mine, so I offer mine up to you. You can come hang out with us. Hell, you can stay with us if you want. But you won't be lonely. I'll make sure of that."  
  
As Jane finished her speech, the cab pulled up in front of the train station and Jane grabbed their bags from the trunk and followed Maura inside.  
  


*****

  
The train was mostly silent, Jane had fallen asleep within minutes and Maura was left to occupy herself for the remainder of the ride. She had brought a book to keep herself company, but she found she couldn't seem to concentrate. She let out a sigh and glanced out the window.  
  
Maura hadn't been back to Boston since she graduated from BCU three and a half years ago. Every major holiday since had either been spent in Europe or in New York with her aunt and uncle. At first, she wasn't even going to go. Thanksgiving was just another day in her family; none of them really cared if they were together anyway.  
  
But she had let it slip to Jane that she was supposed to go back to Boston for the holiday and the brunette had suggested they travel home together. Jane looked so excited at the prospect, she could seem to say no to her.  
  
And now she had an open invitation to spend as much time with her friend and her family as she wanted, which she was both happy and sad about.  
  
Maura loved to listen to Jane talk about her family, she could tell how much they loved each other, it reminded her of what it was like before her parents died. Holidays were always her favorite time of year, she would bake cookies with her dad and they would always make a pact to not tell her mom just how much of the dough they ate, or how more frosting ended up in their mouths than on the cookies.  
  
Her mom would always come home from work and they would all curl up on the couch together and watch a movie, then her mom would tuck her in and read her a story. They always had the best days together.  
  
Maura wiped a tear from her eye and gave a quick glance in Jane's direction. Here eyes were still closed and a small smile was evident on her lips.  
  
 _She looks so peaceful._  
  
Maura couldn't help but smile when she looked at Jane. Four months ago, she never would have thought she would be sitting here, completely in love with her best friend. She never even would have thought she would have a best friend.  
  
She gentle reached over and gave Jane a small shake, waking her from her nap.  
  
"Jane, wake up. We're almost there."  
  
Jane's eyes fluttered open and she sat up straight, stretching her arms above her head and let out a yawn. Maura tried not to stare at the small line of skin at Jane's waist where her shirt had ridden up while she slept.  
  
The train rolled to a stop and the girls stood up, Jane once again grabbing both of their bags.  
  
"I could carry that myself, you know. I'm not totally helpless."  
  
Jane smirked back at her over her shoulder and saw the blonde smiling at her. "Can't you just let me do something nice for you?"  
  
Maura smiled again, shaking her head and followed Jane out of the train. The two stepped out onto the platform and Maura shivered at the chilly Boston air. Even in her wool coat, the sudden cold startled her.  
  
"JANE!"  
  
Jane and Maura both whipped their heads around at the sound and when Jane saw the source, she dropped their bags and sped off in that direction.  
  
"Jess! Sam!"  
  
Maura watched as Jane hugged the two girls and the three of them began all talking at once, saying things like 'I missed you' and 'it's so good to see you'. They looked so excited to see each other; Maura couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy in her chest. Jane hadn't mentioned her friends would be coming to pick them up.  
  
After a moment, Jane came back over toward Maura, Jess and Sam in tow.  
  
"Maura! This is Jess and that's Sam," she said, pointing to each girl. "Guys, this is Maura."  
  
Maura stiffened as the two girls pulled her into a hug, trying not to feel quite so awkward. Hugging Jane was one thing, she was used to that by now, but she had barely known these girls for thirty seconds.  
  
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Maura, Jane has told us so much about you!"  
  
"It's nice to meet you guys, too."  
  
"So what are you guys doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I thought my dad was coming?" Jane asked them.  
  
"We called him this morning and told him we'd take care of it," Sam answered her. "Come on, let's get out of here."  
  
Jane grabbed their bags from the ground with one hand and placed the other at the small of Maura's back, leading her toward the parking lot. She quickly tossed the bags in the trunk, then opened the door to the backseat and held it open for Maura.  
  
"After you, m'lady."  
  
Maura grinned back at her and slid into the car, Jane following her. When all four were settled in the car, Jess looked over her shoulder from the drivers seat and asked, "So, where to?"  
  
"My house" Jane replied quickly, before Maura had a chance to speak. Turning to her, she smiled. "I want you to meet my family, crazy as they are. They're going to love you."  
  
Maura just nodded in response, giving her a slight smile. How could she be so sure? Most people didn't like her. Why would Jane's family be any different?  
  
As if Jane could read her mind, she leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Stop worrying. It will be fine, I promise."  
  
Jane took her hand and gave it a squeeze and Maura desperately tried to calm her heart when Jane didn't pull away.  
  
 _She's holding my hand. She is holding my hand right now and she is sitting ridiculously close to me and she smells so good and she is smiling at me and she wants me to meet her family. I can't handle this. This is too much. She's so close. And so beautiful._  
  
Luckily, the car came to a stop and she was able to put a few feet of distance between herself and Jane.  _Am I imagining things or has she been touching me a lot lately?_  
  
She tried not to dwell on it; surely she was overthinking things.  
  
 _Jane isn't in love with you. Don't try and convince yourself there is something there when there clearly isn't._  
  
"Janie, you're home!"  
  
Maura watched as the woman she assumed to be Jane's mother ran down the front steps and engulfed Jane in a hug. "Hi, Ma."  
  
"I haven't seen you in three months and all I get is a hi? I missed you, Jane!"  
  
"I missed you too, Ma, but I talk to you nearly everyday."  
  
"And you must be Maura," she said, turning to hug the blonde next.  
  
 _I guess there will be lots of hugging today._  
  
"You're just as beautiful as Jane said you were."  
  
Maura blushed a bit at the comment, but smiled, "Thank you Mrs. Rizzoli, it's so nice to finally be meeting you."  
  
"Oh please, dear, call me Angela. Now come inside girls, it's freezing out here. I'll make us all some hot cocoa and you two can tell us all about New York while we wait for the boys to get back."  
  
Jess and Sam eagerly followed Angela into the house and Jane turned to Maura before following as well.  
  
"See, told you she would love you."  
  
Maura smiled at her and Jane motioned for her to walk up the steps. Once again, Maura felt Jane place a hand at the small of her back, giving her a slight push toward the front door.  
  
 _Well, this week will certainly be interesting._


	11. Something More

When Jane and Maura walked into the house, Jane dropped their bags just inside the front door, and then moved behind Maura, pulling her coat off her and hanging it on a hook next to the door. She quickly removed her own and tossed it on a nearby chair.  
  
"Come on, I'm sure they're in the kitchen."  
  
This time, Jane placed her hands on Maura's shoulders from behind and pushed her toward the doorway. Maura wasn't the only one who noticed that Jane had been a lot more touchy-feely over the past couple weeks. It wasn't by any sort of conscious decision; Jane just enjoyed being close to the blonde.  
  
When the two walked through the door, Jess and Sam were already seated at the stools around the island in the kitchen and Angela was making a batch of her famous hot chocolate. Jane and Maura took the other two seats and it was less than a minute before the interrogation began.  
  
"So how did you two meet, anyway?"  
  
"Maura is the TA in one of my classes. She was nice enough to offer to help me study," Jane replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I guess she hasn't gotten sick of me yet."  
  
"Oh, Jane, I wouldn't get sick of you."  
  
Jane smiled in response, meeting Maura's eyes. The two continued to smile at each other, but the moment was cut short quickly when Sam took over the questioning.  
  
"And Gabe? Do you see him a lot?"  
  
"Well, we have two classes together. Other than that I don't really see him, though."  
  
"But more importantly, how are you doing with your classes?"  
  
Of course her mother would only be concerned with her grades.  
  
"I'm doing fine."  
  
Angela looked toward Maura, as if looking for conformation. Maura smiled at her before saying, "Jane's doing wonderful. I wouldn't let her fall behind with her studies."  
  
"See, nothing to worry about."  
  
Jane took a long sip from the mug of hot chocolate that Angela had just sat down in front of her. More than anything, Jane had missed her mother's cooking while she was gone. She was already looking forward to Thanksgiving Day; she couldn't wait to taste everything her mother was planning to prepare.  
  
The girls continued to grill both Jane and Maura about their lives in New York until they heard the front door open and a few minutes later and Frank, Frankie and Tommy appeared in the kitchen.  
  
Immediately, the two younger boys pulled Jane into a hug.  
  
"Good to have you home, Jane," Frankie whispered in her ear before pulling away. The two had always been close; it had been hardest on Frankie when Jane announced she was moving to New York. They used to do everything together, and even though they were almost three years apart, they had been inseparable growing up.  
  
"OUCH! Geez, Jane, what was that for?"  
  
Tommy's sudden outburst had startled everyone in the room, no one but Maura had noticed Jane smack him in the back of the head a few seconds before.  
  
Jane didn't reply, she simply glared, glanced at Maura, and then gave Tommy a look that clearly said, "You know what that was for."  
  
Jane hadn't missed the looks Tommy was sending toward Maura when he'd entered the room. No way was she going to let her brother try and make a move on her best friend. Not going to happen.  
  
"Janie, don't hit your brother," Frank said as he placed a kiss on top of her head, and then pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you, kid."  
  
"Hey, Pop. It's good to be home."  
  
She quickly introduced Maura to her dad and brothers, each of them hugging her, except Tommy, who started to, but was stopped by another glare from Jane.  
  
"Alright, why don't we all get to bed and continue this tomorrow? It's already after midnight."  
  
"We'll see you guys later," Jess said as she and Sam walked out the front door and drove off. After a few more hugs, the rest of Jane's family headed upstairs to their rooms.  
  
"It's late, you can stay here tonight. I can take you to your house tomorrow if you want."  
  
Maura nodded and Jane led her up the stairs to her bedroom. Maura couldn't help but smile when she walked through the door. Three long shelves on the wall to the left held dozens of trophies for the various sports Jane had played throughout her youth, along with a few medals and ribbons. The wall in front of her had a huge window complete with a window seat, and Jane's bed was pushed up against the wall on her left. It looked just as she would have expected it to.  
  
"They haven't really touched it since I left for college."  
  
"It's nice. I like it."  
  
Jane grabbed a shirt and some sweatpants from her bag and quickly changed into them. The two had changed in front of each other on many occasions, but for some reason, Jane felt slightly nervous this time.  
  
 _Why on earth are you nervous? It is just Maura. You have changed in front of her before, what's the big deal?_  
  
Jane didn't allow herself to think much more of it, however, she simply pushed the thoughts from her mind and tried not to stare when she saw Maura changing out of the corner of her eye.  
  
 _What is wrong with you? Get it together, already!_  
  
"Ready for bed?"  
  
Maura nodded in response and moved to get into the left side of the bed, Jane sliding into the right. Jane suddenly realized just how tired she was and was about to drift off when she heard Maura speak.  
  
"Thank you for having me over, Jane. It really means a lot to me."  
  
"I know. I'm glad I could do this for you. Besides, I love having you here."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"I do."  
  
Jane couldn't see Maura's grin in the dark, a fact that Maura was very grateful for. "Goodnight, Jane."  
  
"Night, Maur."  
  


*****

  
Jane was relieved when she woke up the next morning and found that she and the blonde were not cuddling once again. Relief turned to disappointment, however, when she realized the spot next to her was empty.  
  
Glancing around the room, she saw her friend had moved to the window seat across the room and was staring outside. Quietly, Jane moved next to her and attempted to see what she was staring at so intently.  
  
Below the window, her brothers were playing basketball in the driveway. Her dad had the hood popped up on his work van and was leaning in to fix something. She could smell the bacon scent making its way upstairs and knew her mother was downstairs making breakfast.  
  
It was a typical Saturday in the Rizzoli house. Maura leaned her head against Jane's shoulder when she felt her sit down and Jane ran her hand up and down the blonde's arm, pulling her closer.  
  
"Geez, Maura, you're freezing."  
  
"It's a bit chilly, yes."  
  
Jane reached down to the floor, grabbing her gold high school softball sweatshirt. She handed it to her friend and Maura quickly put it on, and then returned to her position against Jane.  
  
Jane had no idea why she did it, but before she could stop herself, she laced her fingers together with Maura's. She also had no idea why she felt her heart speed up at the contact or why she was so content to just sit here with Maura in silence.  
  
Jane wasn't sure how long they sat there like that, but several minutes had passed before Maura spoke again.  
  
"Jane, will you go somewhere with me today?"  
  
"Sure, Maur, wherever you want."  
  
"Okay, good."  
  
Before the two could say any more, Angela was yelling up the stairs for them to come get their breakfast. The two quickly changed before joining the rest of the family in the kitchen.  
  


*****

  
Maura had never experienced anything quite like dining with the Rizzoli's. They were loud and crazy, everyone had ridiculous stories to tell and they often talked over one another. They all simply gathered around the island in the kitchen, the kids seated at the bar, Angela and Frank standing opposite them.  
  
It was nothing like anything her Aunt and Uncle would have ever put up with, but Maura loved every second of it. She sat next to Jane at the counter, taking in everything and saying very little. The boys finished their meal quickly; they had practically inhaled the food, and were back out the door in minutes, eager to finish their game.  
  
"What are you girls up to today?" Angela asked when they finished, moving to clear their plates and load them in the dishwasher.  
  
"We're going out for a while." Jane replied simply. She had no idea where it was Maura wanted them to go, but from the look on her face when she brought it up, it didn't seem like she really wanted to talk about it.  
  
"You girls have fun, just try and make it back for dinner, alright? Maura, you're more than welcome to join us."  
  
"Thank you, Angela, I think I will."  
  
The two stood and Jane grabbed Maura's arm, pulling her toward the door. She was beginning to make it a habit, not that Maura needed someone to lead her around, Jane just liked touching her and it gave her an excuse to be closer to her.  
  
"What should I wear to this mystery location?"  
  
"Something warm" was Maura's only reply. Maura replaced her sweatpants with a tight, dark pair of jeans, and then pulled on a pair of black, heeled boots. She left Jane's sweatshirt on and ran a comb through her hair before adding a black sock cap.  
Jane couldn't help but smile. She looked utterly adorable.  
  
 _I just want to kiss her._  
  
Jane felt her jaw go slack. Did she really just think that? Where on earth did that even come from?  
  
 _Kiss her? I don't want to kiss her! What the hell?_  
  
Jane was determined to push the thought from her mind but it was so hard to do when Maura was standing there looking so adorably beautiful.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing," Jane replied quickly, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks when she realized she had been caught staring. "You ready?"  
  
Maura nodded. "Let's go."


	12. Come Clean

Maura directed Jane through the streets of Boston, she still hadn't told Jane exactly where they were going. After a few minutes though, the two finally pulled up to their destination.  
  
"Uh, Maura. Are we doing what I think we're doing?"  
  
Jane looked slightly uncomfortable, which is why Maura had been hesitant to tell her what she wanted to do. Maura gave her as much as a smile as she could before letting out a sigh.  
  
"I haven't been in so long. I just…I wanted to come. I didn't want to come alone."  
  
Jane gave her a knowing smile, and then walked around to open the door for her. She held out her hand to the blonde and Maura quickly accepted it, stepping out of the car. Jane dropped her hand and the two walked down the path until Maura stopped in front of two headstones.  
  
Maura knelt down in front of them, running her fingers over the letters spelling  _Hope Isles._  The stone just to the left read  _Patrick Isles._  
  
Maura stood and turned toward Jane. "They would have loved you, you know."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"I know so. They were so much different than my aunt and uncle. Sometimes, I found it hard to believe they were even related. Growing up, it was a lot more like your family. Warm, inviting, maybe a little quieter."  
  
The two laughed at the comment and Jane gave Maura's hand a small squeeze, but left their hands entwined this time. Maura leaned against her and spoke softly.  
  
"I really wish you guys were still here. I wish I knew what happened to you that night. I wish things had turned out differently. But I'm doing okay now. I'm happy even, most days. But I miss you guys, all the time. I love you both."  
  
They stood there for a bit longer in silence, Jane giving Maura all the time she needed to be here with her parents. Finally, Maura turned away. This time, Maura lead Jane back to the car, her hand still holding the brunette's.  
  
"Thank you for coming with me, Jane. I don't think I could have done that on my own."  
  
"No need to thank me, Maura. I'm here for you, always. Whatever you need, just say the word and I'm there."  
  
The two were interrupted by Jane's phone buzzing, signaling that she had a new text.  
  
"It's from Sam. She wants to know if we want to meet her for lunch."  
  
Maura gave her a nod and Jane drove off in the direction of the BCU campus.  
  


*****

  
When the Jane and Maura walked into the small pizza place thirty minutes later, they quickly spotted Sam sitting in a booth near the back of the restaurant.  
  
On the drive over, Jane had explained to Maura that she, Jess and Sam used to always come here during their breaks from class, it was only a five minute walk from campus and had some of the best pizza on this side of town. Since Sam was still attending BCU, she was getting her masters degree in psychology; it was an easy place for them to meet.  
  
"Hey guys!" Sam said as Maura and Jane slid into the booth opposite her.  
  
"Hey Sam. Jess couldn't make it?"  
  
"No, she's stuck at the paper." Jess had recently started working as a reporter at a local newspaper and it was keeping her insanely busy, she was constantly working well into the night and often had to continue working from home when she was finally able to leave.  
  
"That's too bad."  
  
"So, Maura, tell me more about yourself."  
  
Maura was a bit surprised at her statement. She figured she was going to be the third wheel of the afternoon, observing as Jane and Sam caught each other up on their lives and looked back on all their memories of high school and college.  
  
"Oh, well, you already know I'm studying to become a doctor. I graduate in May, and then I will officially be a doctor. I just have to complete my internship and residency, then I plan on becoming a pathologist."  
  
"That's the one who works on dead people, right?"  
  
Maura chuckled at her question and gave her a nod. "I want to go into forensics, help solve murders."  
  
"Wow, that's really cool. I bet that would be so interesting. I certainly wouldn't have the stomach for it."  
  
The two laughed and Jane smiled, happy her two friends were getting along so well. Jane knew most considered Maura to be a bit of an acquired taste, so she was a bit worried at first about how her closest friends would interact.  
  
The three girls continued to talk for another couple hours until Sam finally announced she had to get to work. They walked outside and just as they were about to part ways, Sam pulled Jane off to the side.  
  
"Jane, can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, sure," she replied, handing Maura her car keys. "You go ahead, I'll be there in a sec."  
  
Maura nodded and walked toward the parking lot and as soon as she was out of earshot, Sam spoke again.  
  
"You're her best friend, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, um, do you know if she…you know. If I'm…her type?"  
  
The question shocked Jane. She had known since their junior year of high school that Sam was a lesbian. She had just started dating Julie, a girl from a neighboring school and she wanted to be upfront about it from the start. Of course no one really cared, sure some people always had mean things to say, but Jane could have cared less, as could any of their other friends.  
  
So that wasn't the part that startled her. Never in a million years would she have ever thought Sam would be into Maura. She had never even entertained the possibility.  
  
She was not happy about it.  
  
"Um, you know, I don't really know. I mean, she doesn't really date much, usually only guys her family sets her up with, so we've never really talked about it."  
  
"Do you think…do you think maybe you could find out?"  
  
"I guess I could try."  
  
"Thanks, Jane! You're the best. Just let me know, okay? I really like her."  
  
Sam gave Jane a hug, which the latter reluctantly returned. Sam was grinning and there was a slight skip in her step. Jane watched her walk away before turning to meet Maura at the car.  
  
She had no idea why, but she was suddenly struck with the biggest urge to hit something.  
  


*****

  
That night, Maura decided to stay at Jane's once again. After dinner, the two retired to Jane's room, both tired from their day and happy they didn't have to worry about studying for a few days.  
  
Once they climbed in bed, they both laid in the dark, faces toward the ceiling, neither able to fall asleep. Finally, after what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, Jane broke the silence.  
  
"Hey, Maur? You still awake?"  
  
"Yes, Jane, I'm still awake."  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"You can ask me anything."  
  
"Okay. But you won't get offended by it or anything? We've never really talked about this kind of thing before."  
  
"Well, I won't know until you ask me, but I doubt there is much you could say to me that would offend me."  
  
"Okay. Um…you said you never really date anyone that your family doesn't set you up with, right?"  
  
"I've never actually been on a real date, to be honest."  
  
Jane sighed, feeling sad for the blonde for a moment. It seemed like such a shame to her that no one else had ever bothered to get to know her. She was truly incredible; she really wished more people would see that. Jane reached over and found her hand, lacing their fingers together giving her a small squeeze.  
  
"You said those guys weren't your type."  
  
"Correct."  
  
"Is that, uh, is that because guys aren't your type in general?"  
  
Maura didn't answer for a moment and Jane was afraid she really had offended her. It's not like Maura was anyone people would just walk up to and assume she was gay, so Jane imagined she hadn't really been asked that question before. She was about to apologize when Maura finally spoke.  
  
"I guess you could say that is accurate." She paused for a moment before adding, "I've never told anyone that before. But yes, I am usually more attracted to women than men."  
  
Jane gave her hand another squeeze then began rubbing small circles with her thumb. Jane didn't really know how to feel about that. Of course, she didn't care if Maura was into girls, she was still her best friend and Jane still loved her. But that also meant she might also be into Sam, and for whatever reason Jane still wasn't willing to admit to herself, she did not want that to happen.  
  
"Thank you for telling me."  
  
"You're my best friend, Jane, I would tell you anything."  
  
"So you never told your aunt and uncle? Maybe if you did they would stop setting you up all the time."  
  
"Oh no. No. Never. I will never tell them. That would not go well. They would disown me, I'm sure."  
  
"What? They would disown you? But you're family! I know I don't really agree with a lot of things they do, but surely they wouldn't do that. I'm sure they love you in their own way, Maur."  
  
"No, I'm sure they would. But it's not like they really need to know anyway, right? I only see them once every few months anyway, if that. It would just be unnecessary conflict."  
  
"Well, if it makes any difference, I still love you."  
  
"It makes all the difference in the world, Jane."  
  
Even though it was dark, Jane could make out the edge of Maura's smile in the moonlight and she gave her hand one last squeeze before both drifted off to sleep, hands still clasped together in the center of the bed.


	13. One Step at a Time

Maura continued to stay with Jane over the next few days. She knew her aunt and uncle weren't in town yet anyway, so it seemed silly to stay in their house alone when she would much rather just stay with Jane.  
  
Neither had brought up their conversation from Saturday night. Jane hadn't acted any different toward her though, so Maura assumed that meant Jane was perfectly fine with it.  
  
On Wednesday, however, Jane finally brought it up again. "Hey, Maur?"  
  
"Yes, Jane?"  
  
"About our conversation the other night. Um. There was a reason I wanted to know."  
  
This definitely caught Maura's attention. Could it be that Jane might actually feel the same way about her? Could that be why she wanted to know?  
  
Maura simply waited for Jane to continue. She could tell Jane was uncomfortable and hesitant about whatever she was going to say, though Maura couldn't have been more anxious.  
  
"Well, you see, Sam kind of wanted to ask you out."  
  
"Sam?"  
  
Okay, not exactly what Maura had been hoping for. She instantly felt like an idiot for getting her hopes up. Of course Jane wouldn't have wanted to know for herself.  
  
"Yeah, that's what she wanted to talk to me about after lunch the other day."  
  
"Oh. Well that's rather unexpected."  
  
"Don't feel like you have to go or anything. If you're not interested, I can just tell her to move on."  
  
Maura sat silent for a few moments, contemplating her options. On one hand, she knew she was in love with Jane and didn't see that changing any time soon.  
  
On the other hand, she knew she couldn't continue to spend her life being hopelessly in love with Jane. Maybe she should try to move on.  
 _Move on. Yes. That's what I should do._  
  
"Okay. I'll go out with her."  
  
"Really?"  
  
 _Is it just my imagination or does she look a bit disappointed?_  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Okay, I'll let her know."  
  
Jane sent Sam a text and Sam replied almost instantly, "She says she will pick you up at six."

  
*****   


  
As soon as Sam and Maura pulled away a few minutes after six, Jane collapsed onto the couch and let out a huge sigh.  
Angela, who had been sitting on the chair next to her, looked up from her book to ask, "Something wrong, baby?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Could've fooled me."  
  
Jane didn't answer; she simply closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the couch.  
  
"Why don't you just tell her?"  
  
Jane's eyes snapped open and she sat up, looking confused. "Tell who what?"  
  
"Maura." Angela replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "Why don't you just tell her you like her?"  
  
"Ma, seriously, what are you talking about?"  
  
"You're lying here depressed because your best friend is on a date. You nearly took Tommy's head off for looking at her. I've seen you with her; you've never acted like that with any of your other friends, not even Jess and Sam. You touch her all the time."  
  
"That doesn't mean I want to date her!"  
  
Angela made a small "hmm" sound and returned to her book, signaling that she didn't believe her.  
  
"Whatever, Ma. You know what? I'm leaving."  
  
With that, Jane got up and headed toward the front door, quickly throwing on her coat and gloves.  
  
"Make sure you're back before Maura, you don't want to miss the goodnight kiss!"  
  
Jane let out a groan and slammed the door behind her, stomping down the front steps.  
  
 _How dare she say that? I don't like Maura! And I'm not jealous! She can do whatever she wants. I'm not-_  
  
"Jane! That you?"  
  
Her inner monologue was interrupted by a deep voice coming from the porch of her next-door neighbor.  
  
"Yeah, it's me," she replied, stepping toward the man, joining him on his porch swing.  
  
"I thought I saw you come home the other day. How's the doctor thing?"  
  
"It's good. Hard, but good. How are things at BPD?"  
  
"Oh, you know, people kill people. We arrest them."  
  
Suddenly, Jane had an idea. "Hey Korsak? There were these murders a while back. Fourteen years ago. Hope and Patrick Isles. You know anything about them?"  
  
"The Isles case? Of course. That was one of the first cases I worked in homicide. Married couple was found stabbed leaving a restaurant one night."  
  
"But the case was never solved."  
  
"Nope. We all had our suspicions, but we could never find any hard evidence to use to convict them."  
  
"What do you think happened?"  
  
"Well, a lot of people believed Patrick Isles was really mob boss Paddy Doyle. Of course, we could never prove it. We didn't have Paddy's DNA to compare with, but we were pretty sure it was him."  
  
Jane had not expected that. Maura's dad was in the mob?  
  
" _He didn't really work, really. He just went out sometimes at night. I'm really not sure what he did when he wasn't watching me, to be honest."_  
  
"Do you think his wife knew?"  
  
"Couldn't say. She seemed like a nice woman though. A doctor. They had a daughter too. I remember she was a beautiful little girl."  
  
"Maura."  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know that? Wait, why'd you want to know about that case anyway?"  
  
"She's my best friend."  
  
"And I take it she doesn't know anything about what I just told you?"  
  
Jane shook her head.  
  
"Aw, shit, Jane. You aren't going to tell her, are you?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You can't tell her that her dad was the head of the mob."  
  
"She deserves to know the truth, Korsak."  
  
"I disagree, Jane. Ignorance is bliss. Let her remember her dad as a good guy, not a murderer."  
  
"He killed people?"  
  
"His specialty was an ice pick to the heart."  
  
Jane felt her heart break for her friend. Maybe Korsak was right. Maura believed her dad was the perfect guy, it would crush her to know he was actually a killer.  
  
"You're sure it was him?"  
  
"I'd bet my life savings on it," he replied, and the two sat in silence for a few moments, both thinking about the case.  
  
"Who do you think killed them?"  
  
"All signs pointed toward Tommy O'Rourke. He was the head of a rival mob. We all assumed Paddy killed the wrong person so O'Rourke went after him."  
  
"That's a lot to take in."  
  
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you."  
  
"No, I'm glad you did. I just wish I had a concrete answer to give her. I wish I knew how to solve this for her. Give her some piece of mind."  
  
"It was a long time ago, Jane. I doubt there is any way to solve it now."  
  
The two sat in silence for a while longer, neither really knowing what else to say. After probably an hour, Jane spotted Sam's car pull up in her driveway.  
  
"That's Maura. I should get home."  
  
"If I can think of anything else, I'll let you know, Jane."  
  
"Thanks, Korsak. Thanks for telling me."  
  
Maura spotted Jane walking toward her as she exited the car and she waited for her as she waved to Sam, and then watched her drive away. When Jane reached her, the two walked toward the house. Jane stopped at the front steps and sat down on the top one, grabbing Maura's hand and pulling her down to sit next to her.  
  
"So how was your date?"  
  
"It was nice." Maura smiled at her, and then rested her head on Jane's shoulder.  
  
She and Sam had a nice time together. She was interesting to talk to and though Maura had never really been on an actual date, it seemed like it was a pretty good one.  
  
She knew she wasn't fooling anyone, though. Anyone but Jane, maybe. Even Sam had seen it. She wasn't getting over Jane anytime soon.  
  
"You think you'll go out again?"  
  
"No, I don't see that happening."  
  
"Oh." Jane couldn't help but smile a bit before adding, "why not?"  
  
"It just wouldn't work out."  
  
Jane gave her a knowing nod and the two continued to sit on the porch well into the night, talking about everything under the sun. It wasn't until they sky started to lighten and turn slightly pink that Jane glanced at her watch and realized it was after 6AM.  
  
She didn't even feel tired. She felt like she could sit here and talk to Maura forever and not get sick of it. Unfortunately, however, they couldn't.  
  
"I guess I should get you to your aunt and uncle's house. I'm sure they will be looking forward to seeing you."  
  
"Oh," Maura replied. "I guess I forgot to tell you. My aunt sent me a message while I was out with Sam. They won't be coming after all."  
  
Jane could sense the sadness in her voice and it made her even angrier. How on earth could two people disappoint this amazing woman so many times? They didn't even seem to care that they were doing it either. It wasn't right.  
  
"I'm sorry, Maur."  
  
"It's okay. I was kind of expecting it, you know? They always do that kind of thing."  
  
"Well, you're more than welcome to stay here. Ma would love it." Jane smiled at her and wrapped her arm around the smaller woman, pulling her into a side hug. "I would love it."  
  
"Thanks, Jane. That means a lot to me."  
  
"C'mon, let's get you upstairs. I know how long you take to get ready for these things."  
  
Jane simply rolled her eyes as the blonde began to protest and the two headed up to Jane's room to shower and get changed before dinner.  
Jane couldn't help but be a little happy that her friend's family stood her up; she wasn't exactly looking forward to spending the day away from Maura.  
  
 _I definitely know what I'm thankful for this year._


	14. Kiss Me

Jane and Maura made their way upstairs and collapsed on Jane's bed around 7AM Thanksgiving morning. Jane had made a short pit stop in the kitchen where her mother was tending to the turkey to let her know Maura would be joining them. She was eternally grateful that Maura was standing next to her, she really didn't want to deal with any more of her mother's teasing from the night before.  
  
Thankfully Angela had enough tact not to mention Jane's crush in front of Maura.  
  
 _Wait, my crush? Is that what we're calling it now?_  
  
Jane groaned in her mind and fought the urge to roll her eyes at herself. She could not have a crush on her best friend. She just couldn't.  
Not only because she did not want to date Maura, she couldn't want to date Maura, not to mention, she still had Gabe to think about. Jane watched as Maura gathered her clothes from her suitcase and made her way into the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
Jane let her mind wander as she laid on the bed waiting for the blonde to return. There is no doubt, she had wanted to kiss Maura the other day. She also knew she would not be happy if Maura's date with Sam had gone well, but that was just because she didn't want it to be awkward with two of her friends dating. Right?  
  
She knew she loved Gabe. He had been there for her through every major event in her life, they had grown up together, they were each other's first everything. First date, first dance, first love, first time having sex. All of that was experienced together. She had always thought that it would simply be that way forever.  
  
And then Maura came along. She sighed and closed her eyes, thinking about what her life would be like without her best friend. It was truly unimaginable.  
  
 _How did I ever get by without having her around?_  
  
Jane honestly had no idea. It was like life before Maura didn't even exist. She certainly never wanted to live without having the other woman in her life.  
  
But did that mean she wanted to date her? Kiss her? Be with her?  
  
Jane wasn't so sure.  
  
She continued to lie in bed, fighting the urge to sleep, and contemplated her feelings for the blonde. Never in her life had she been more confused. The only thing she had seemed to figure out was that she loved being around her and wanted her in her life no matter what.  
She watched as Maura exited the bathroom. Even in her jeans and a sweater, some designer label no doubt, Maura still looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.  
  
Jane tried and failed to keep her heart rate under control and tried to ignore the sudden dryness in her mouth and the way her breathing went a little ragged.  
  
 _I've got to get out of here._  
  
Before Maura had a time to say a single word, Jane ran past her yelling, "my turn!" and practically slammed the door shut behind her. Maura couldn't help but find her friend's behavior odd, but she had no idea what could have brought it on.  
  
 _Weird._  
  


*****

  
A couple hours later, the girls had made their way downstairs, the men of the house already planted in front of the television watching a football game. Maura really had no interest in watching the game, but loved the look Jane got in her eyes when she flopped down on the couch next to Frankie and asked for an update.  
  
"I'm just going to go see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen."  
  
She thought she heard Jane mumble an okay and she shook her head as she walked away toward the kitchen door. Something was definitely up with her friend and Maura made a mental note to ask her about it later in the day.  
  
"Did you need any help Angela?"  
  
"Maura, how sweet of you! No one ever offers to help me around here, they are much more concerned with their football. And if it's not football it's basketball or baseball or hockey, I swear they will come up with any excuse to stay away from food unless they are eating it."  
  
"Well, I'm happy to help. I've never really been one for sports."  
  
"I was just about to slice the apples for the pie, it's Janie's favorite so I thought I would make it special for her."  
  
"I'm on it."  
  
Maura began slicing and peeling the apples while Angela checked on the turkey and began peeling the potatoes. Maura noticed how they worked well together, they didn't seem to get in each other's way much and they were able to work through many of the tasks without speaking.  
  
After almost thirty minutes, Angel finally spoke.  
  
"Maura, I'd like to ask you something, but please don't get upset with me."  
  
"Okay," Maura replied hesitantly.  
  
"How long have you been in love with my daughter?"  
  
Maura nearly dropped the knife she was holding. "I...uh...what?"  
  
"Oh, I don't mind dear. I'm actually happy to know she's got someone interested in her other than that slimeball Gabriel."  
  
"You don't like him either?"  
  
"After what he did to my baby girl? Not a chance in hell. Excuse my language."  
  
"Every time I see him, I want to punch him in the face."  
  
"I wouldn't have expected that kind of violent reaction from you, Maura."  
  
"Normally, I wouldn't, but every time she talks to him, he hurts her all over again. I can't stand to see her in pain."  
  
"You do love her, then."  
  
"I really do."  
  
"You're good for her. Even if she can't see it right now. She will eventually."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"If there is one thing I know, Maura, it's my daughter. She may be stubborn and she may be scared, but she cares about you like I have never seen her care about anyone. She will realize it one day."  
  
"Thank you, Angela, that means a lot to me."  
  
Angela nodded in response and the two went back to cooking. It was nearing eleven and they were putting the final touches on the meal when Jane walked in the door.  
  
"Honey, can you finish setting the table?"  
  
"Sure, Ma."  
  
Maura noticed that Jane avoided her eye and was in and out of the room as quick as possible. Her strange behavior was starting to worry her.  
 _Have I done something to upset her? She seemed fine this morning when we were talking, but ever since we came inside, she's been avoiding me. I wish I knew why._  
  


*****

  
Jane continued to avoid Maura throughout lunch, though it was kind of difficult since she was sitting a mere foot away from her. At one point, Jane was passing her a plate of rolls and their hands brushed, Jane thought she might actually explode from the electric current she felt running through her skin where the blonde made contact.  
  
 _No, no, no, no, no. I cannot be falling for Maura. I can't. She's my best friend. If we start dating, I will end up losing her. She will leave me like Gabe left me and I can't lose her. I need her._  
  
When they finished eating and the dishes had been cleared, Maura excused herself to Jane's room saying she was tried from not sleeping the night before. Jane joined her brothers back in the living room to catch the evening game, but she found she couldn't seem to concentrate.  
  
She hadn't even made it to the end of the first quarter before she found herself saying she was tired and retreated upstairs as well.  
  
As soon as she opened the door, she could sense something was seriously wrong. Maura was curled up on the far side of the bed facing away from her and Jane could tell from the way her shoulders were shaking that she was crying.  
  
Jane slowly walked around to the other side of the bed and whispered, "Maura, sweetie, are you okay?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Jane."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For whatever I did to make you so upset with me."  
  
"Upset with you? I'm not upset with you. Why would you think that?"  
  
"You've been avoiding me all day."  
  
"I haven't been avoiding you! I've been...okay, I guess I've been avoiding you."  
  
"Why? Did I do something to offend you? Is it because I went out with Sam last night? If you didn't want me to date your friend, I would have said no. But I thought I made it clear I didn't like her in that way. And we had a rather pleasant night talking; everything seemed fine then. So I really don't see what I could have done to-"  
  
As she usually did, Jane simply acted on impulse and pressed her lips to the blonde's, effectively silencing her. It took a moment, but she eventually felt Maura respond, pushing toward Jane. Jane slipped her hand behind Maura's head and tangled her fingers in her hair, leaving her other hand resting on Maura's arm.  
  
It didn't last long and Jane pulled away, standing up and running a hand through her hair nervously.  
  
"Oh." Maura replied, "Wow."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"That's why you've been avoiding me?"  
  
Jane simply nodded in response and Maura felt a smile grace her lips. "If you wanted to kiss me, you could have just done that from the start, Jane."


	15. Will You Fall for Me?

_"That's why you've been avoiding me?"_  
  
 _Jane simply nodded in response and Maura felt a smile grace her lips. "If you wanted to kiss me, you could have just done that from the start, Jane."_  
  
Jane didn't say anything. She couldn't. What was there to say? She had just kissed her best friend. The one person she knew she couldn't live without.  
  
She hasn't contemplated it for even ten seconds before she acted. Now there was no way to take it back. The problem was, she wasn't sure if she wanted to take it back or not.  
  
"Jane?"  
  
Jane gave her a smile and crawled into the bed and lay next to Maura, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman's waist and spooning her from behind.  
  
"Jane, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, Maur. I'm okay."  
  
"Are we, um…are we going to talk about this?"  
  
"Do we have to?"  
  
"I think we should."  
  
"Can we just talk about it tomorrow? Right now, I just want to lay here with you."  
  
Maura sighed a little and thought it over for a moment, "Okay, Jane. We'll talk tomorrow."  
  
Jane reached up and turned off the lamp next to the bed, then settled back to her previous position. Surprisingly, she felt her self drift off rather quickly, enjoying the feeling of having Maura in her arms.  
  
Maura, however, wasn't so lucky. She couldn't keep her mind from racing.  
  
 _Jane kissed me. I kissed Jane. But what does that mean? Does she want to be with me? Date me? Or just kiss me? I really shouldn't have agreed to sleep before we talked, but I just can't say no to her. But how am I supposed to sleep when I have no idea what is going on between us?_  
  
Maura's sighed as she continued to think of every scenario that could possibly happen when she and Jane woke in the morning and talked about their kiss. However, somewhere between thinking Jane would completely regret it and never want to speak to her again and Jane confessing her undying love for her, Maura managed to succumb to her exhaustion.  
  


*****

  
The next morning, Jane and Maura awoke in the same position, Maura curled up on her side, Jane wrapped around her, their hands entwined and resting on Maura's hip. Jane was the first to open her eyes and she took the time to think about what she wanted with Maura.  
  
Knowing the blonde as well as she did, she knew that it wouldn't take long before they would have to discuss the kiss and Jane wanted to know where she stood before that conversation took place.  
  
Obviously, Maura wanted this. She hadn't pulled away, she hadn't run. So she was okay with what happened.  
  
 _But am I okay with what happened?_  
  
A week ago, even a couple days ago, Jane would have never expected to be in this position. Sure, she had been attracted to girls before, but that was in middle school, before Gabe, that hardly counted, right?  
  
But for some reason, the fact that Maura was female had nothing to do with why she was freaking out. And she was definitely freaking out by this point.  
  
She loved Maura, she knew that.  
  
She needed Maura, she knew that, too.  
  
 _Maura is too good for you._  
  
Did Jane really believe that? Maybe. But maybe it was more that she was afraid that Maura would get bored with her. Sometimes, Jane wondered if Maura only liked her so much because she was so much different than everyone else in her life.  
  
Sometimes, Jane wondered if one day that wouldn't be enough anymore.  
  
Jane couldn't bear the thought of losing Maura's friendship, let alone whatever else they might have together. Certainly, that would be harder, right?  
  
Before she cold think about it much longer, she felt Maura stir in her arms and the blonde turned to face Jane, a smile appearing on her face.  
  
"Hey," she whispered.  
  
"Morning," Jane replied. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"I did. You're rather comfortable, you know."  
  
Jane gave her a little chuckle, "Thanks."  
  
"So," Maura began.  
  
"So."  
  
"You said we would talk tomorrow."  
  
"Yep."  
  
"It's tomorrow, Jane."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
Maura let out a sigh. She should have guessed Jane was going to be difficult about this. Why couldn't she just lay it out simply what she wanted from her?  
  
"You kissed me last night."  
  
"You kissed me back."  
  
"Do you regret it?"  
  
"No," Jane answered quickly, and it was the truth.  
  
"Me either."  
  
They sat in silence for a moment before Maura spoke again. "It was my first, you know."  
  
"Your first time kissing a girl? Yeah, mine too."  
  
"No, it was my first kiss. Ever."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Maura nodded and Jane pulled her closer, allowing her to place her head on Jane's chest. "I'm glad you were my first, Jane. Even if you don't want me back."  
  
"Maur, it's not…I do…"  
  
Jane let out a sigh. What is it about this woman that made her incapable of forming complete sentences?  
  
"Look, Maura, I do like you. I mean, I love you, as in you're my best friend, but I also like you, as in I kind of want to kiss you. A lot."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. But that also scares the shit out of me."  
  
"It scares me too."  
  
"I just don't want to lose you. I can't lose you."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, Jane."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
Maura gave her a nod and a small smile. Of course she wasn't going anywhere, she needed Jane as much as Jane needed her. Maybe even more.  
  
"Can we just…take this slow?"  
  
"Of course, Jane. As slow as you want."  
  
Jane pulled her in closer again, giving the blonde a reassuring hug and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Maybe they didn't figure everything out today, but at least now they seemed to be on the same page.  
  
 _Good enough for me._  
  


*****

  
Later that afternoon, before the girls headed to the train station to return to New York, Maura wanted to stop by her aunt and uncle's house to get a few things from her room. She didn't have a lot left there, it wasn't like she came to visit very often, but over the last few years, she had thought of a small list of things she wanted to retrieve the next time she was in Boston.  
  
On the top of her list was her mother's old jewelry box. Maura had left it behind when she left for Columbia because it was locked, Maura was never able to find the key, but she found herself wishing she had brought it with her anyway.  
  
Whenever she looked at the box, she was reminded of the night her parents were killed. At first, she hated that; she locked it away in the back of her closet and refused to look at it until her last year at BCU. One day while she was cleaning out last year's shoes to make room for the new season, she came across the small box and smiled.  
  
She remembered being in her parent's bedroom, laying on the bed on her stomach, feet swinging back and forth in the air, chin resting on her hands, while her mother sat at her vanity a few feet away, putting the finishing touches on her makeup and picking out her jewelry from the wooden box.  
  
She heard her father come in the front door and her mother had snapped the box shut, locked it and placed the key somewhere. The problem was, Maura couldn't remember where. It was probably long gone by now, too, her aunt had sold off almost everything from their house with the exception of Maura's things.  
  
 _Maybe one day the key will find it's way back to me, somehow._  
  
After Maura had gathered everything from her list and placed them in her suitcase, telling Jane about why each, including the jewelry box, was so important to her, the two were off to the train station.  
  


*****

  
The ride back was quiet, both avoiding their topic from this morning, both afraid to say too much, afraid it will push the other away.  
  
Maura could tell Jane was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it. She guessed it was because she had never really been with anyone other than Gabriel. Even after a year apart, it had to be strange to have feelings for someone else.  
  
Even if she wasn't willing to talk about it though, she was at least acting the same way toward Maura. Jane had once again fallen asleep shortly after they left the train station, this time with her head resting on Maura's shoulder.  
  
Maura smiled as she glanced down at her friend, happy to know that maybe being with Jane wasn't so impossible after all. She couldn't help herself as she began imagining what their life would be like together, the dates they would go on, the kisses they would share, what their wedding would be like, the house they would live in and the kids they would raise.  
  
Maura knew she was getting ahead of herself. They had only kissed once, after all, and Jane wanted to take it slow. Thinking about marriage and kids isn't taking it slow.  
  
 _But what she doesn't know won't hurt her._  
  
The blonde smiled to herself, and then rested her head against Jane's as she too fell asleep for the remainder of the ride.


	16. The End Where I Begin

When the cab pulled up in front of Maura’s apartment, she was feeling anxious.  She had a wonderful week with Jane, and even though they had barely spent a few hours of it apart, she wasn’t quite ready for it to end yet.  
  
“Do you want to come up for a bit?”  
  
Jane hesitated before replying, “It’s getting late.  I should probably get home.”  
  
“Oh.  Okay.”  
  
“I’ll see you in class Monday, okay?”  
  
Maura nodded and Jane pressed a light kiss to her cheek, and then watched as Maura exited the cab and entered the building.  
Jane let out a sigh as the driver drove off toward her dorm.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend the evening with Maura, but she needed some time to herself to wrap her mind around how she was feeling.  
  
When she got out of the cab, she entered the building and slowly climbed the three flights of stairs to her room.  She was relieved to find Nicole watching TV; maybe if she had someone to talk to about this, it would start to make sense.  
  
“Hey, Nicole.”  
  
“Jane, hey!  How was Boston?”  
  
“It was good.  I hadn’t realized how much I missed them until I got back.”  
  
“Maura went with you, right?”  
  
“Yeah, she ended up staying with me all week.  Actually, do you have a bit?  Can we talk?”  
  
“Of course,” she replied, shutting off the TV.  “What’s up?”  
  
“Last night, Maura and I…well…we kind of kissed.”  
  
“What?  No way!  I didn’t know you liked girls.”  
  
“I don’t.  Not really.  But she’s different.”  
  
“But what about Gabriel?”  
  
Jane sighed and flopped down on her bed.  This had been the question that had been plaguing her all day.  What about Gabe?  
  
“I don’t know.  I mean, he has obviously moved on.  Maybe I should move on too.”  
  
Jane looked at her friend and immediately noticed the hesitant look on her face.  “What?”  
  
“I don’t know if I should tell you.  It might make things more complicated.”  
  
“Nicole, what is it?”  
  
“Well, David was talking to Gabe last night and he said Gabe mentioned that he and Victoria broke up a few days ago.  He said it was because he was still in love with you.”  
  
Jane couldn’t believe her ears.  Gabe wanted her?  He was still in love with her?  
  
This is what she had been waiting for since had had broken her heart a year ago.  
  
Maybe this was a sign.  
  
Maybe she and Maura were only destined to be friends.  
  


*****

  
Monday morning, Jane made her way to class and sat in her usual seat.  “Hey Maur.”  
  
“Good morning, Jane.  How was your weekend?”  
  
“It was good.  Did a lot of thinking.”  
  
“Huh, how unusual.”  
  
Jane looked over with an arched eyebrow.  When she saw the smirk on her friend’s face, she gave her a lighthearted show to her shoulder.  
  
“Hey, Jane, can I talk to you for a minute?”  
  
Jane turned to see Gabriel looking slightly nervous.  Jane nodded and shot an apologetic look at Maura before following him into the hall.  
  
“What is it, Gabe?”  
  
“I wish there was a better time to do this.  But I don’t see one.  Jane, I’m sorry.  I was an idiot.  I was an ass.  I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I was hoping you might give me one anyway.  I miss you.  I love you.  Please, let me take you to dinner tonight.  Please?”  
  
Jane didn’t know what to say.  Immediately, Maura’s face came to her mind.  She knew she liked Maura, but she was more scared than ever about taking the next step with her.  She glanced around the emptying hallway, as if hoping to see some sort of sign to tell her what to do.  
  
She watched Gabe take a step toward her, extending one of his arms around her, pulling him toward her with his hand on her lower back.  He placed a soft kiss to her cheek and looked up at her.  For the first time in a long time, she saw the man she fell in love with.  
  
“Please, Jane.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
He smiled at her and for a second, she forgot about the rest of the world.  For a second, it was just the two of them and she smiled back.  
  
The feeling faded quickly, however, when she walked back into the classroom.  Her eyes immediately found Maura’s and her heart broke at the sight.  Maura gave her a questioning look and Jane could feel the tears filling her eyes.  Before she had even made it five steps into the room, she found herself running back into the hall and into the closest bathroom.  
  
It wasn’t like Jane to cry in public.  It wasn’t like Jane to cry at all.  Sure, she had cried when she and Gabe had broken up, she had cried when her grandfather had died in high school, but other than that, tears’ streaming down her face was a foreign feeling to Jane.  
She raced into the nearest stall and slammed the door, giving it a punch for good measure.  
  
This was not how this was supposed to go.  
  
This was not in her plan.  
  
She was not supposed to have feelings for anyone else.  
  
She was supposed to come here and prove to Gabe that she could be serious and that they would get back together and life would go back to normal.  
  
Maura was not a part of her plan.  
  
It wasn’t like she was in love with Maura.  Sure, they had kissed.  Sure, it was amazing.  But that didn’t mean they should necessarily be together.  Right?  
  
And they weren’t together.  
  
Maura was not her girlfriend.  
  
So there is no reason she couldn’t go out with Gabe tonight.  That’s what you’re supposed to do in college anyway, right?  Explore your options?  
  
That’s all Jane was doing.  
  
And it would be fine.  
  


*****

  
Jane had avoided Maura for the rest of the day.  The blonde had sent her a text shortly after class asking what was wrong, but Jane hadn’t replied.  She couldn’t bring herself to tell Maura about her date tonight.  
  
It’s not that she wanted to hide it; she just knew already the look she would get when she said the words.  
  
Maura would look at her with those sad eyes, the ones that broke her heart every time.  She couldn’t handle that tonight.  She was going out with Gabe, and that was that.   
  
He showed up at her door right at seven, looking as great as ever.  They took a short walk across campus and ended up at a little Italian restaurant, very much like the one they used to frequent on special dates back in Boston.  
  
He was the perfect gentleman, opening the door for her, pulling out her chair, and holding her hand.  Just like he used to.  
  
Everything was going well.  Until he asked how her Thanksgiving break was, anyway.  
  
The second she had mentioned Maura; it was like he turned into a completely different person.  The person he had been ever since they had broken up.  The person she didn’t love.  
  
“She went to Thanksgiving at your house?  Geez, Jane, I know you’re a nice person, she doesn’t have any friends, I get that, but you’re going to get her hopes up.”  
  
“Get her hopes up for what?”  
  
“She’s going to think that you actually want to be her friend!  That you actually like her!”  
  
Jane dropped the fork she had been holding, her jaw clenched, she balled up her hands into fists under the table.  
  
“Okay, I’m going to say this once, and then I’m not going to say it again.  Maura is my friend.  She is my best friend and I am not using her, I’m not just trying to be nice to her, I love her.  Got it?”  
  
“Jane, come on, you can be real with me.  You don’t have to pretend anymore.”  
  
“Were you always this much of an ass, or is this a new development?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Honestly, Gabe, I have no idea what I saw in you.  Maybe you were always like this and I just didn’t see it.  Or maybe you’ve changed, or maybe I have, but whatever it was, this just isn’t working anymore.  I have to go.”  
  
“Jane, wait!”  
  
Jane didn’t even reply, she simply turned and walked toward the door.  Once she was on the street, she walked in the opposite direction of her dorm feeling more determined and sure of herself than she had in a long time.  She had only one thing on her mind.  
  
 _I have to see Maura._


	17. Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

The walk to Maura's felt like the longest fifteen minutes of her life. Jane had no idea what was going to happen when she got there, but she did no one thing for sure.  
  
She wanted to be with Maura.  
  
Part of her realized she had wanted that all along. She hated to say it, but her mother was right. There was a reason Jane acted different toward Maura than anyone else. She hated that it took a horrible date with Gabriel to make her realize that what she wanted was right in front of her all along.  
  
She had been an idiot.  
  
How could she possibly think that anyone else was better suited for her than Maura Isles? It simply wasn't possible. Now that she knew that, she had no idea how she could have ever known anything else.  
  
When she finally arrived at Maura's door, she took a deep breath before raising her fist and knocking. Maura took so long to answer; Jane almost thought she wasn't home.  
  
The sight of her nearly took Jane's breath away. It was like one of those moments in one of those movies where the world stops turning and time stands still and suddenly everything makes sense and you wonder how you made it through life before this moment.  
  
"What do you want, Jane?"  
  
Maura's sigh and less than thrilled tone brought her down from the high she had been on just moments before.  
  
"I want to talk to you."  
  
"Oh, now you want to talk? Because it's suddenly convienient for you?"  
  
"Maur, please, just let me explain."  
  
"Explain what, Jane? How you constantly avoid me when things get slightly uncomfortable? How you ran away from me Thursday? How you ran away again Friday night? And this morning? Is that what you're going to explain?"  
  
"Maura, I-"  
  
"No, you know what, Jane? I'm not finished. You don't get to do this. You don't get to come into my life and make me fall in love with you and then just run away when you get sick of me. That's not how this works."  
  
"You love me?"  
  
Maura let out a groan and literally threw her hands in the air. This woman could be so difficult sometimes.  
  
"That's all you got out of that?"  
  
"Well, it's kind of a big thing to just spring on someone."  
  
"Oh, give me a break, Jane. Of course I fell in love with you. How could I not? How could anyone not? But this is too much. You can't just keep stringing me along, one foot out the door. I deserve more than that. I deserve all of you, and if I can't have that, if you can't give me that, then I don't want any of you."  
  
"You really mean that?"  
  
Maura only nodded.  
  
"All or nothing, huh?"  
  
"It just hurts too much, Jane. Being here with you, right now, this is killing me. Knowing you could walk away at any moment, it's killing me."  
  
"I'm not going to walk away."  
  
"Why on earth should I possibly believe you, Jane? You have done nothing but disappoint me since we got back. Every time we disagree, you walk away. How could I possibly trust you not to do it again?"  
  
"I'm sorry, okay? You're right. I ran. I got scared and I ran. And then today, with Gabe…" Jane trailed off, reluctant to tell her about her date, especially when Maura was already so mad at her.  
  
"What about Gabe?"  
  
Jane didn't answer; she simply stared at her shoes, willing the situation to go away.  
  
Unfortunately, it did not.  
  
"What happened with Gabe today, Jane?"  
  
"He asked me to dinner, okay?"  
  
"Oh. Well, what did you say?"  
  
There it was. That look. Those eyes. She had seen it coming.  
  
"I went out with him tonight. He said he was sorry. He said he made a mistake. He said he loved me."  
  
"So that's why you're here? To tell me that our kiss was just a mistake? That you still love him? That you're getting back together with him?"  
Jane simply shook her head.  
  
"Then why, Jane? Why are you here?"  
  
Jane had always been a woman of action. She was never all that great at words, so she let her actions speak for her.  
  
In three quick strides, she was inches from Maura. She wrapped both her hands behind her neck, fingers tangling in her blonde curls, palms pulling them closer.  
  
She crashed her lips on those of the blonde, instantly pulling a moan from Maura's throat. Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's waist and pulled her even closer.  
  
After what could have been several seconds or several hours, Jane pulled back, but only enough to rest her forehead on Maura's and look into her eyes.  
  
"I'm here because I love you."  
  
"You do?"  
  
Maura felt Jane nod against her and she closed her eyes, feeling herself smile.  
  
"You realize you can't take it back now, right?"  
  
"I wouldn't dare."  
  
"No more running?"  
  
"No more running. I'm sorry, Maura. I'm so sorry. I truly, deeply am sorry. I don't deserve you, I know that. But I will spend every day trying to make it up to you. I'm here. I promise.  
  
"I haven't been the greatest friend to you, Maura. And I realize that probably doesn't inspire much confidence in me being a good girlfriend, but I swear to you, I will never hurt you again. Not intentionally, anyway."  
  
"You want to be my girlfriend?"  
  
Jane nodded and gave her a quick kiss. "There's nothing I want more, Maura."  
  
Maura smiled and kissed her again. Of course she was still scared. Of course she would be afraid of Jane letting her down again for quite some time. Of course they still had plenty to talk about. Of course it wouldn't be easy.  
  
But could she really just walk away from the love of her life when things got rough?  
  
Not a chance in hell.  
  
"I would like that."  
  
"You realize you're stuck with me now, right?" Jane asked her, imitating the blonde from moments before.  
  
"There's nothing I want more, Jane."  
  


*****

  
A few hours later, Maura and Jane were spread out on the couch as the credits of the movie rolled past. The position was reminiscent of the morning they woke there. The morning everything began to change.  
  
Jane ran a hand through Maura's hair, placing a kiss on top of her head. She watched as Maura smiled up at her, then placed her head back on her chest.  
  
"I should get going."  
  
"You could stay."  
  
"I can't."  
  
Maura wasn't surprised. She had a feeling Jane would probably freak out again. Of course she was going to run again.  
  
 _I should have known._  
  
As if Jane could read her mind, she sat up, running a hand through her own hair.  
  
"No, Maur, no, I'm not running, I swear I'm not."  
  
"Then why don't you stay?"  
  
"Because I want to do this right. I want to give you everything. I want to make this amazing for you and that means being a gentleman and not spending the night before I've even taken you out on a date."  
  
"You realize we shared a bed every night for a week just a few days ago."  
  
"You weren't my girlfriend then."  
  
"I was still me."  
  
"It's different."  
  
"No, it's not."  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
Maura groaned. "I give up. You are deceptively complex. I do not understand you."  
  
"Just go with it, Maur. Let me treat you right. Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?"  
  
"Sure, you can take me to dinner. Now get out of here before I don't let you leave."  
  
"Has anyone ever told you that you're kind of bossy?"  
  
"You love it and you know it."  
  
Jane lingered at the door, not wanting to leave, but knowing that she should. Only a few hours of being Maura's girlfriend and Jane already was having a hard time leaving her.  
  
"So I'll see you tomorrow, then?"  
  
"What time should I be ready?"  
  
"I'll pick you up at seven."  
  
Maura smiled, locking her hands together with Jane's. "I'll be waiting."  
  
Maura reached up and pulled Jane in for one last kiss.  
  
"Goodnight, Maura."  
  
"Goodnight, Jane."


	18. Love Story

Jane was determined to give Maura the perfect date.  
  
She shot her a quick text that afternoon telling her to dress warmly, no way could Maura fully experience what Jane had planned wearing one of those dresses she was so fond of. Not that Jane minded that she wore them all the time.  
  
At six-thirty, Jane pulled on a pair of tight black pants, then her favorite pair of knee high black boots. She opted against the heels tonight; she didn't want to be too much taller than Maura. She slipped on a basic red t-shirt, and then zipped up a black hoodie before pulling on her coat. She grabbed her gloves and scarf and made her way downstairs and began her walk toward Maura's apartment.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Jane was knocking on the blonde's door, suddenly feeling nervous. This was her first 'first date' since she was in high school. Even though it was different with Maura, they already knew so much about each other, hell, they already knew they loved each other, but actually dating is different.  
  
Jane didn't want to screw this up.  
  
Maura opened the door and a grin broke out on her face when she saw Jane standing there. "Hey."  
  
"Hey, beautiful. Ready to go?"  
  
Maura blushed slightly at the compliment, but nodded and grabbed her purse from the table by the door. "So where are you taking me?"  
  
"I thought I would give you a proper New York experience. You said that you've never really gone out and seen much of the city and I haven't either, so I thought we could go together."  
  
"That sounds wonderful, Jane."  
  


*****

  
As the two girls walked down the sidewalk, Jane reached over and took Maura's hand in hers, pulling Maura toward her. She caught the blonde off-guard and wrapped her other arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.  
  
It didn't last long, but it left Maura stunned, speechless even. She couldn't help but wonder if one day this feeling would wear off, but she hoped it wouldn't.  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't resist."  
  
"You never have to apologize for kissing me, Jane. I'm yours to kiss whenever you would like."  
  
Just for good measure, Jane placed her lips on Maura's once more, then tugged her hand, silently asking her to follow her down the street.  
  
"Wait, what are you doing?" Maura had stopped dead in her tracks when she saw where Jane was headed.  
  
"Come on, Maur. It won't kill you. You might even like it."  
  
"I most certainly will not like it! There is a reason I've never done this, Jane. This wasn't what I thought you had in mind when you said a 'proper New York experience.'"  
  
"Please? For me? I've always wanted to."  
  
Maura let out a sigh, rolled her eyes, then conceded to her date, following her down the stairs.  
  
"I can't believe you've lived in New York for three years and you've never ridden the subway."  
  


*****

  
It turns out, the subway wasn't near as bad as Maura had expected. She still didn't like it and she prayed to God that Jane wouldn't ever want to do it again, but it wasn't as horrible as she thought it would be.  
  
The girls exited the station on 31st street and Jane led her down the block and into a restaurant. Maura was surprised. She was quickly realizing that this date was going to be nothing like she would have ever expected, in the best way.  
  
"What kind do you want?"  
  
"Um…the pepperoni looks good."  
  
Jane smiled at her, "that's what I was thinking, too."  
  
Jane got in line and ordered them a couple slices of pizza and two waters. When they had gotten their food, they both slid into a booth near the back and didn't waste any time before digging in.  
  
Jane had eaten a lot of pizza in her time, but this was quite possibly the best pizza she had ever eaten. She could tell by the look on Maura's face that she agreed.  
  
Between bites, the two talked mostly about their childhood's, Jane told her all about the times her family had travelled here when she was a kid and Maura told her all about her trips to Europe. Jane had been worried they wouldn't have much to talk about, they already knew so much about each other, but that turned out to be a needless worry on her part.  
  
When they had finally finished, Jane led her out to the street, opting to walk the ten or so blocks to their next destination. While they walked, Maura took Jane's hand in her own, squeezing it every so often.  
  
"Did you enjoy part one of our date?"  
  
"I did! I've had a lot of pizza, a lot of New York pizza at that, but that was very good. Excellent choice."  
  
Jane smiled at her, just happy to be showing her a good time. The two enjoyed a few minutes of silence as Jane led them to their next destination.  
  
"The Empire State Building?"  
  
"You've never been, right?"  
  
"No, have you?"  
  
"Nope. I thought it would be fun, we can see the view together."  
  
"It sounds great, Jane."  
  


*****

  
Jane loved to watch Maura. All the time.  
  
There was something about the look in her eyes when she saw something she thought was beautiful or wonderful or miraculous. Jane didn't even have a word to describe it, but she knew she loved it.  
  
She leaned back against the side of the building and watched as Maura leaned as close to the edge as possible. After a few moments, Jane walked up next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Maura turned to look at her, a smile on her face.  
  
"The view is incredible, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, it is." Jane stared straight into Maura's eyes, not talking about the view of the city below them at all.  
  
"That was incredibly cheesy, Jane."  
  
"What, you don't like cheesy?"  
  
"I happen to love cheesy."  
  
Jane pulled her in for a kiss as the first snowflakes of the season began to fall. She noticed a shiver from the blonde next to her and took her hand, leading her inside.  
  
"Come on, we've got one more stop to make."  
  


*****

  
Jane should have known.  
  
She should have expected Maura would be an excellent ice skater. She was beautiful and graceful and poised; it was only natural. Jane, however, was awkward and clumsy and the complete opposite of graceful.  
  
She had learned to skate when she was younger, she had begged her parents to let her play hockey, but she quickly gave it up in favor of basketball and the skills seemed to have left her over the years.  
  
Maura didn't seem to mind, though.  
  
Jane watched as she glided around the ice at Rockefeller Center, stopping to help Jane along ever so often.  
  
After an hour or so of skating, the crowd began to thin out and Jane was content to rest on the edge and watch her girlfriend skate. She smiled a toothy grin when Maura headed her way.  
  
"You're pretty great at that, you know?"  
  
"I took lessons as a kid."  
  
"Why am I not surprised?"  
  
Maura simply smiled in response and grabbed Jane by the ends of her scarf, pulling her in for a kiss. Suddenly it didn't seem near as cold out. Maura was certain this must be what heaven felt like, because surly nothing could beat this feeling.  
  
"Are you having a good time, Jane?"  
  
"Best date ever," she replied simply, giving Maura one last kiss before she skated off again.  
  


*****

  
Maura couldn't help but be a little sad when their date came to an end. It had been the best date of her life, though she really didn't have much to compare it to.  
  
Jane really had planned the perfect date; Maura couldn't wait to see all the places she and Jane would go together.  
  
She held on tightly to her date's hand as they approached her front door and she paused as she unlocked it, turning to look toward Jane.  
  
"Did you want to come in for a while?"  
  
"That wouldn't be too gentlemanly of me, now would it, Miss Isles?"  
  
Maura couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile, "Thank you for a really wonderful date, Jane. I had a great time."  
  
"Me too, Maura."  
  
Jane leaned down to place a soft kiss on Maura's lips, but the blonde had other ideas. As soon as she made contact with Jane, she wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck, pulling her in as close as she could. Instinctively, Jane wrapped her arms around her waist and Maura backed them up so her back was against the door.  
  
Jane couldn't help but let a small moan escaping when she felt Maura pull her even closer and slide one of her legs between Jane's.  
Maura ran her tongue lightly across Jane's lips, testing the waters a bit. In no time at all, Jane allowed her access and the two continued the battle for several minutes before they finally had to break for air.  
  
"Goodnight, Jane," Maura said when they parted, a small smirk on her face.  
  
It wasn't the first time she had left Jane speechless and it definitely wouldn't be the last.


	19. I Should Tell You

"I'm going to miss you."  
  
"It's only for two weeks, Jane."  
  
"So you're not going to miss me?"  
  
She gave her girlfriend her best pout and responded with a quick kiss before returning to her packing. "Of course I'm going to miss you."  
"Do you think your aunt will set you up with anyone while you're there?"  
  
Jane tried but failed to keep the jealousy from her voice, a scowl appearing on her face. Maura, however, didn't seem to notice and returned to her closet to grab more clothes.  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if she did."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Really, Jane, I don't see why it matters. It's not as though I have any sort of interest in them, romantic or otherwise. You know I'm committed to you."  
  
"I know. I just don't want these guys to think they stand a chance."  
  
"Well, despite what they may think, they don't. So it doesn't matter."  
  
She walked over to Jane, who was sitting on the edge of her bed, and positioned herself between Jane's legs, wrapping her arms around her neck. She leaned down and captured her girlfriend's lips, kissing her soft and slow.  
  
"I love you, Jane. Nothing will change that."  
  
Jane kissed her once more, "I love you, too."  
  
Maura took one last look over her room, trying to determine if she was missing anything. "Well, I think that's it."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to ride to the airport with you?"  
  
"I'll be fine, Jane. As I said, it's only for two weeks. I'll be back from Paris in plenty of time to spend New Years with you."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I promise. I don't want to miss out on Times Square. I've always thought that looked like fun."  
  
"It's a date."  
  
Jane took Maura's hand, leading her to the door and down the elevator to the lobby where Maura already had a cab waiting for her. She wished she hadn't already agreed to Christmas in Paris before she and Jane started dating. Even though they had only been together for a couple weeks, Angela had been ecstatic and promptly invited the blonde home for their next break from school.  
  
"I guess I'll see you soon, then. You'll call me while you're gone?'  
  
"Of course."  
  
Jane gave her one last goodbye kiss, trying not to think about the fact that she wouldn't get another for two whole weeks.  
  
"I love you, Jane, I'll see you soon."  
  
"I love you too, baby, have a good trip."  
  
Jane watched as the cab drove off toward Queens, then turned to walk back to her dorm and pack for her own trip home. She couldn't help but count down the days until she would be reunited with her girlfriend.  
  


*****

  
The first week of Jane's vacation was pretty uneventful. Her parents drug her to party after party, Angela couldn't resist showing off her "future doctor" to all her friends. Jane rolled her eyes every time her mother referred to her as Dr. Rizzoli and would stare at her phone, willing Maura to call or text her.  
  
The two talked nearly everyday, but it was difficult with the time difference and Maura had told her Constance was keeping her busy with lots of social obligations.  
  
Whatever that meant.  
  
It wasn't until Christmas evening that they were able to have a real conversation. Jane stayed up late so she could skype with her girlfriend when she woke the next morning. She couldn't help but notice her heart skip a beat when she saw the blonde on the monitor in front of her.  
  
She looked perfect, as always, even though she had just woken up. Jane could tell her had literally called the second she woke; Maura had yet to brush her hair and had a smudge of makeup under her eye leftover from last night. She let out a yawn before she had said a word and Jane couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
"Hey there, baby. Sleep well?"  
  
Maura nodded before asking, "How was Christmas?"  
  
"Oh, we celebrated in true Rizzoli fashion, very loud, lots of chaos, my brothers got each other paintball guns, so they of course wanted to just practice all day, which Ma threw a fit over. Then about a million cousins came over for dinner. I thought they would never leave."  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there, it sounds pretty great."  
  
And Jane could tell that she meant every word. She would have loved for Maura to be there with her, it definitely would have made her crazy family more tolerable.  
  
"What did you guys do?"  
  
"We had dinner at the house with some family friends. Nothing too exciting."  
  
"Family friends, huh? Was one of those friends a twenty something doctor or lawyer?"  
  
"He was an architect, actually."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to just tell her?"  
  
"I'm sure. It was just a couple hours of awkward silences and forced conversation. And now it's over and I get to talk to you, so no harm done."  
Maura shot her a smile and the two continued to talk well into the night, well, night for Jane, well into the morning for Maura, until Jane couldn't keep herself from yawning every couple minutes.  
  
"You should go to sleep if you're that tired."  
  
"No, I'm good. I want to talk to you."  
  
"Jane, I will see you in two days. Surely you can make it without me until then."  
  
"I don't know, it's going to be tough.," she replied with a smile.  
  
"Go to bed, honey. Call me when you wake up, I'll wait up for you."  
  
"Okay, Maur. I love you."  
  
"I love you too. Oh, and Jane, could you do me a favor tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure, sweetie, what is it?"  
  
"When we went to my house a few weeks ago, I forgot to get my locket that my mom gave me when I was little. Would you mind getting it for me? It's in the top dresser drawer in my room."  
  
"Sure thing, Maur."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Goodnight, baby."  
  
"Goodnight, Jane."  
  


*****

  
The next day before she went to the train station to get back to New York, Jane headed to Maura's house to get her locket. She punched in the security codes Maura had given her and entered the house, once again struck by how expansive it was.  
  
She navigated to Maura's room and retrieved her girlfriend's necklace, smiling when she looked inside and found a picture of her with her mother. Jane couldn't believe how much they looked alike. On the opposite side was a small engraving that read "always & forever."  
  
Jane sighed. She would never stop wishing Maura wouldn't have had to go through that as a child. She was sure from what she had been told that she really would have liked Hope.  
  
Jane her made her way back downstairs and couldn't help but stop and peek inside some of the rooms. When she saw a room that looked like a study, she walked inside and sat at the desk, imagining herself as some big and powerful CEO, controlling a multi-million dollar company.  
  
She had to admit, the feeling wasn't terrible.  
  
Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled open a couple of the drawers and ruffled through its contents. She was about to get up and leave when an envelope caught her eye.  
  
It had Maura's name on the front and was already opened. Jane couldn't stop her self before she reached down to grab it and read the contents.  
  
Jane let out a gasp when she reached the end and looked down to find another letter shoved inside, different paper, different ink, different handwriting. She quickly read that one and when she finished, she shoved both inside her bag and ran out the door.  
  


*****

  
Jane was waiting at Maura's apartment when she arrived home from the airport the next night. When Maura saw her, she immediately dropped her bag and ran to her girlfriend, jumping into her arms and hugging her tightly.  
  
Jane knew no better feeling than holding this woman in her arms, but even while holding heaven, she couldn't quite keep the sad, apprehensive look off her face.  
  
"Jane, what's wrong? Because I couldn't be happier to see you, but you don't really look happy to see me."  
  
"Of course I'm happy to see you, Maur, I missed you like crazy. But some things happened while I was at home. And…well, it changes things."  
  
Maura felt her heart drop to her stomach. Why did this sound like the beginning of a break up?  
  
Did Jane cheat on her or something? Was it Gabriel? Someone else Maura didn't even know?  
  
This could not be happening. Maura felt the tears begin to fill her eyes, threatening to spill over.  
  
"Maura, I have to tell you something."


	20. Breaking Inside

" _Jane, what's wrong? Because I couldn't be happier to see you, but you don't really look happy to see me."_  
  
" _Of course I'm happy to see you, Maur, I missed you like crazy. But some things happened while I was at home. And…well, it changes things."_  
  
 _Maura felt her heart drop to her stomach. Why did this sound like the beginning of a break up?_  
  
 _Did Jane cheat on her or something? Was it Gabriel? Someone else Maura didn't even know?_  
  
 _This could not be happening. Maura felt the tears begin to fill her eyes, threatening to spill over._  
  
" _Maura, I have to tell you something."_  
  
"What is it, Jane? Whatever it is, please, just tell me already. Get it over with."  
  
"It's about your parents."  
  
 _My parents?_  
  
"Wait. What? You're not breaking up with me?"  
  
"What! No! God, no! Whey would you think that?"  
  
"Well, I don't know, I come here and you're sitting by my door and you're all 'I have to tell you something.' You sure do know how to scare a girl."  
  
"I'm sorry, baby. I'm not breaking up with you. Sorry I scared you."  
  
Jane pulled her into another hug, kissing the top of her head.  
  
"So what about my parents?"  
  
Jane sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the best way to break the news before deciding to just say it.  
  
"I know who killed them."  
  
"What do you mean, you know who killed them?"  
  
"It's kind of a long story, we should probably sit."  
  


*****

  
"It's going to be hard to hear. And I just want you to know that I'm sorry. About everything."  
  
"Jane, you're really confusing me. What do you have to be sorry for?"  
  
"There's something I should have told you when we went home for Thanksgiving. I wanted to tell you, but then we kissed and I just…I didn't. But I should have. That night you went out with Sam, I ended up at my neighbor's, Vince Korsak. He's a homicide detective. Just out of curiosity, I asked him about your parents, to see if he knew anything."  
  
Jane took a deep breath before continuing.  
  
"He was actually on the case back when it happened. And he told me stuff. About them."  
  
"What kind of stuff?"  
  
"You know how you told me you didn't know what your father did when he wasn't taking care of you?"  
  
Maura nodded in response, an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Well, I know what he did. He, uh…" she took Maura's hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze, no idea how she was going to break this news to her girlfriend. "He was in the mob."  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
  
"He was the head of the Irish mob. Paddy Doyle? That was him."  
  
Maura was outraged. She couldn't believe Jane would say something like that. There was no way that could be true. Her dad was not in the mob. He was so kind. So wonderful. This couldn't be true.  
  
"No. No way. It's not possible. You must be mistaken."  
  
"I'm not, Maur. I'm sorry, honey; I wish I were. We didn't have proof before, but then yesterday, when I was at your house…well, I found some."  
  
"You can't be serious."  
  
Jane reached into her bag and pulled out the letter and handed it to her. Maura was trembling as she opened it, eyes immediately recognizing her father's handwriting.  
  
 _Maura,  
if you're reading this, it means I'm not around anymore to keep you from knowing the truth. I want you to know, I love you more than anything, it was the happiest day of my life when you were born, I couldn't wait to watch you grow up and become the wonderful person I know you will be. Please try not to hate me when you read this._  
  
 _There's something I never told you or your mother, I couldn't tell you or you would be put in so much danger. I just wanted to keep you both safe._  
  
 _Maura, my name isn't really Patrick Isles. Your uncle Richard is not my brother. He is your mother's brother. I took her name when we married to postpone this day as long as I could._  
  
 _I've done some horrible things in my time, never to anyone who didn't deserve it, but horrible nonetheless. I'm sorry you had to find out this way; I'm sorry you had to find out at all._  
  
 _My real name is Patrick Doyle, better known as Paddy Doyle in Boston. I'm sure you have heard about some of the terrible things I have done and I wish I could say they aren't true, but they probably are._  
  
 _You don't need to know the specifics; it's better this way._  
  
 _Just remember that I love you and I only ever wanted what's best for you. I'm sorry I couldn't give you that._  
  
 _Love always & forever,_  
Dad  
  
By the time she reached the end of the letter, her tears were flowing faster than she could wipe them away. Jane pulled her into a hug and held her until she stopped crying and her breathing returned to normal.  
  
"I'm so sorry, sweetie."  
  
"I can't believe I never knew. How could he keep this from me?"  
  
"He was just trying to protect you. And you were only nine at the time, how do you explain something like that to a kid?"  
  
"He should have found away. I can't believe this. It must be some sort of cruel joke."  
  
"I wish I could say it was."  
  
The two sat in silence for a while, Maura crying off and on, Jane holding her the entire time, rubbing her back and running her fingers through her hair to comfort her.  
  
After a while, Maura finally spoke again.  
  
"You said you knew who killed them."  
  
"Yes, I do. I found a second letter, one to your aunt and uncle. It was from the killer. It was a threat."  
  
"Against what?"  
  
"You."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"The letter said if he or your aunt breathed a word of your dad's true identity to the cops, or gave any sort of evidence against him, that he would…" Jane trailed off, not even sure she could finish the sentence.  
  
"He would what?"  
  
"Kill you."  
  
"Oh my God. Why didn't anyone ever tell me anything about this?"  
  
"I'm sure they were just trying to protect you, Maur."  
  
"They could have found some time in the last fourteen years to mention this to me. So, wait, the killer just wrote this letter and signed it? Why would he do that?"  
  
"Well, no not exactly. It wasn't signed. I took it to Korsak and we ran it down to BPD. They dusted for fingerprints and by some miracle, there were some. Mine and your uncle's, of course, but also those of Tommy O'Rourke. He was the one who did it, Maur."  
  
"Are they going to arrest him?"  
  
"They would, but he's dead. Died about five years ago, shot in the heart by one of his own men."  
  
"I can't believe this. For so long, all I wanted was to know the truth. And now I know, I'm not sure how to feel about it. It doesn't seem real. I can't believe my father was in the mob."  
  
"I'm really sorry, Maur."  
  
"You should have told me before. You should have told me weeks ago when you found out."  
  
"I wanted to, I did. I just knew you had this wonderful image of your father and I didn't want to shatter that. I wanted you to be able to remember him as the wonderful dad he was to you."  
  
"That wasn't your decision to make, Jane!"  
  
"I know. I'm sorry, Maura. I'm so sorry."  
  
"I think I need some time to be alone."  
  
"Are you sure? I could stay."  
  
Maura had to laugh at the irony. She had been trying to get Jane to stay over for weeks and she has always declined. Now the one time she didn't want her to stay, she didn't want to leave.  
  
"Really, Jane. I just want to take a shower and go lay down for a while."  
  
"Okay. If you're sure."  
  
"I am. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Jane nodded and followed Maura over to the door, then pulled her into a hug before kissing her temple softly. "I really am sorry, Maura. I was just trying to look out for you."  
  
"I know, sweetie. I just need some time to process."  
  
"So you still love me?"  
  
Jane was scared to ask her that. There was nothing she was more afraid of than giving Maura a reason to walk away from her. She was always afraid that with one wrong move, she would lose her. It happened with Gabe, it could happen with Maura too. Then what would she do?  
  
"What? Of course I still love you, Jane. Why would you even ask that?"  
  
"I just don't want to lose you, Maur. I don't think I'd survive it."  
  
Maura pulled her in for another hug and kissed her with all the passion she could muster. She wrapped her arms around Jane's waist, pulling her closer, then pulled back, resting her forehead on Jane's.  
  
"You listen to me, Jane Rizzoli. I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anything. I'm always going to love you. I'm not going to just walk away from you, okay. No matter what you do. We can always fix it, okay? So don't worry."  
  
Jane nodded and gave Maura one last kiss and 'I love you' before going back to her own apartment. As she walked, she couldn't help but continue to worry about her relationship.  
  
It wasn't that she didn't trust Maura, she really did, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of getting hurt.


	21. If This Was a Movie

When Jane left her apartment, Maura slowly made her way to her bedroom, not bothering to shower or even to change into something other than her dress. She crawled under her covers, still clutching the letter from her father and alternated between being so angry she wanted to throw something and so sad she couldn't stop crying.  
  
She honestly didn't know if she was angry with Jane or not. She understood her girlfriend was just trying to spare her some pain, but at the same time, she still lied to her. She still kept secrets. That was something Maura was certain you just didn't do in relationships.  
  
She knew she was angry with her father, however.  
  
 _How could he do this?_  
  
 _How could he not tell me?_  
  
He was the reason she was forced to grow up with her aunt and uncle. He was the reason her mother was dead. Her mother didn't even know why. Had he told her in their last seconds, bleeding out on the sidewalk? Did he apologize? If he did, did he even mean it?  
  
Why had he put them in danger like that?  
  
He could have left. He could have let us go. He could have done more to keep us safe.  
  
Maura had heard the stories about Paddy Doyle when she was in high school. She had heard all the accounts of how many people he had killed, how he was ruthless, a killer,  _a monster._  
  
Her father was a monster.  
  
Her kind, sweet, loving father.  
  
It didn't make any sense.  
  
But there was no denying it; she had her proof right here in her father's handwriting.  
  
Her own flesh, her own blood, was a cold-blooded killer.  
  
What did that make her?  
  


*****

  
When she was around half way back to her dorm, Jane collapsed in tears on a bench. How did everything get so messed up so fast?  
Less than a month together and she had already made Maura cry.  
  
 _Way to go, Rizzoli._  
  
She knew she should have told Maura when she found out weeks before. She had known in her gut and went against her instincts and look where it landed her: alone and crying on a park bench.  
  
What a lovely sight.  
  
She let out a huge sigh and bent down to rest her forehead in her hands, willing herself to stop crying.  
  
"Jane?"  
  
Jane's head jerked up, looking around to find the source of the sound. When she saw who was standing in front of her, the tears stopped and her blood began to boil.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Just wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, you're crying. You never cry."  
  
"Thank you for pointing that out."  
  
"Seriously, Jane, are you okay?"  
  
"Just leave me alone, Gabe."  
  
"You know, despite what you might think about me, I do love you. I'm always going to care about you. So if something is bothering you, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."  
  
He sat down next to her and didn't say another word. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and was surprised to see that he looked sincere.  
  
She really could use someone to talk to.  
  
"I messed up."  
  
Again, he didn't say a word; he simply waited for her to continue, giving her a supportive look.  
  
"I lied to Maura. Well, I didn't really lie, I just…didn't tell her the whole truth. I know I should have. I just knew it would hurt her. I knew it would upset her and I couldn't bear to be the one to do that to her."  
  
"You really do care about her, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do. She's amazing. She's perfect."  
  
"I always just thought you were trying to be nice to her."  
  
Jane looked over and saw that he truly looked shocked. He really didn't listen to anything she said, did he? Jane stiffened slightly as she felt him rest his hand on her back and rub comforting circles as she stared at the ground.  
  
Her head jerked up once again when she heard footsteps coming their way and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.  
  
"Maura?"  
  
"Jane, thank God, listen, I'm sorry I-"  
  
She cut herself off when she saw Gabe sitting next to Jane and her face turned stone cold, "Oh. Gabriel."  
  
Jane jumped off the bench as if it were on fire, running to Maura, an apologetic and guilty look on her face. Of course this would happen to her. This is how her life goes. She sees Gabe for the first time since she left him in that restaurant and of course Maura would see them and think the worst.  
  
Why would anything else have happened?  
  
"Maur, it's not what it looks like."  
  
"Jane, you do realize that nothing good ever starts with that sentence."  
  
"But it's true! I was sitting here and he just walked up and sat down, it was nothing."  
  
"No, I get it. I understand. My dad is a killer, Jane. He was evil. A monster. So what does that make me? I could be just as evil as he was. It's in my blood after all; the mob is a family business. Of course you wouldn't want to be with me after all that."  
  
"Maura, baby, no, no, no, that is not what's happening-"  
  
"Baby? Wait. You two are dating?"  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
Jane was sure her heart stopped. Not anymore? Maura was breaking up with her? Even after she just said they could work through anything?  
  
She stood there stunned and watched Maura turn on her heels and walk just a few feet back toward her apartment before Jane managed to make her feet work. She ran in front of the blonde, stopped and rested her hands on Maura's shoulders.  
  
"Maur, you can't do this. You can't break up with me. You just can't. You said we could work through anything. You said you wouldn't leave me. I'm so sorry. I will never keep anything from you again. I promise. Just please, don't leave me."  
  
The tears began to form in Maura's eyes and as she blinked, a few escaped down her cheek. Jane had never seen her look more dejected, more broken.  
  
"How could you possibly love me like this, Jane? After knowing what you do about me?"  
  
"Maura, you're the same person you were yesterday! You're the sweetest, kindest, most selfless person I've ever met. Knowing who your dad really is doesn't change that."  
  
"Of course it does! It changes everything!"  
  
"How? How is anything different than it was yesterday?"  
  
"Because. Because...it is!"  
  
"See, you can't even come up with a reason."  
  
"It's different, Jane."  
  
"No, it's not. Nothing is different. Yesterday, had you ever thought about killing someone? Hell, even hurt someone? Could you even do it?"  
  
"Well my father did it."  
  
"But could you?"  
  
Maura fell silent, thinking hard. Could she really kill someone? Maybe if her life depended on it. If Jane's life depended on it, definitely. So yes. She could kill someone. She could definitely kill someone.  
  
"I would kill for you."  
  
Jane couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. She took her hands from her girlfriend's shoulders, used her thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks, and then pulled her in for a kiss.  
  
"It's not the same thing, Maur."  
  
"Isn't it?"  
  
"No, it isn't. There is a difference between killing someone who is trying to kill the person you love and killing someone just for the hell of it."  
  
Before Maura could protest, Jane pulled her into a hug, squeezing her as tight as she possibly could. How could Maura possibly believe she was evil? A killer? It's just not possible.  
  
After a few minutes, she pulled back, looking Maura in the eye.  
  
"Listen to me, Maur. You are not evil, okay? There isn't some killer gene. Killers aren't born; they're made. And you are not a killer. You are sweet and kind and beautiful and wonderful and amazing and the best person I have ever known. Please don't forget that."  
  
"You really mean that?"  
  
"Of course I do. I love you, Maura. I love you so much. Don't give up on us."  
  
Maura shook her head, and then rested it on Jane's chest as the taller woman wrapped her arms around her once again. She whispered into her chest so soft Jane barely heard it.  
  
"I love you, Jane."  
  
Jane kissed the top of her head, and then glanced up, all of a sudden remembering that Gabriel had been standing there the whole time. Why he hadn't left when Maura had arrived?  
  
"Did you need something, Gabe?"  
  
"You…you're dating…her?"  
  
"I thought that was quite obvious."  
  
Jane couldn't help but chuckle at her girlfriend's words. She didn't show it often, but Maura could be quite possessive, a quality Jane found to be rather adorable.  
  
"I don't understand. You left me…for…her?"  
  
"It sure seems that way, doesn't it?" Jane replied, her smile growing by the minute. She couldn't help but feel a little satisfied that she was getting the chance to hurt Gabe the same way he had hurt her.  
  
"But…why?"  
  
"Because I love her."  
  
"You love me."  
  
"Loved. I  _loved_  you. Though honestly, I have no idea why."  
  
"You'll regret this, Jane. You will regret this. Soon, you'll see what everyone else sees and you'll wish you could come running back to me. But I'll be long gone."  
  
Jane smiled, looking down at the woman still in her arms. "I think I'll take my chances."  
  
With that, Jane turned them toward Maura's apartment and walked her girlfriend home, thinking for the first time that maybe Maura was right. Maybe they could make it through anything.


	22. We're Okay

"Will you stay?" Maura asked her when they had reached her apartment. Jane nodded and the two made their way into her bedroom. As soon as Jane had closed the door behind her, Maura had her pinned to the door, hands on her hips, lips on her lips.  
  
Jane responded immediately, snaking her arms around Maura's back, letting them wander. Maura let her fingers slip under the hem of Jane's tshirt, moaning slightly as she felt them make contact with her skin.  
  
Her hands continued to move upward, pulling Jane's shirt with them and when she reached her girlfriend's shoulders, Maura lifted the shirt over her head. As soon as Jane was free from the offending clothing, Maura moved her assault to Jane's neck, nipping and sucking, spending extra time in the spots that made Jane's breath hitch.  
  
Jane moved to the top of Maura's dress, unzipping it slowly, then brining it to the floor. Maura backed them slowly toward the bed, and then fell back, pulling Jane on top of her.  
  
Their mouths found one another again and Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's neck and felt Jane lower her body so that she was resting most of her weight on top of her girlfriend, then shifted to the side, half lying on her, half on the bed.  
  
Jane sat her hand on Maura's stomach, rubbing tiny circles with her thumb, before moving it upward, cupping Maura's breast through her bra, causing her to release a moan into Jane's mouth.  
  
Taking that as a sign to move forward, Jane kissed down Maura's jaw to her neck, and then moved down toward her collarbone before finally landing on the patch of skin between her breasts.  
  
She then trailed her fingertips down Maura's stomach, causing the blonde to shiver, before resting her palm on Maura's hip, then moving it further toward her thigh.  
  
Maura was finding it difficult to focus on anything besides Jane's hands on her body. And her lips. She couldn't believe the things Jane was doing to her, just by kissing her neck.  
  
It was all moving so fast, Maura could hardly keep up.  
  
"Jane. Jane, wait."  
  
Jane stopped kissing her neck and her hand froze before it inched down any farther. She lifted her head to meet Maura's eyes and opened her mouth to apologize.  
  
"It's okay," Maura said before she could say anything. "I just…"  
  
But she didn't really have any words for why she had stopped her girlfriend. She wanted Jane, of course she did, but they had only been together for less than a month, and the first time was supposed to be special, right?  
  
"You don't have to say anything, Maur. We can wait until you're ready."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, you have…needs. I don't want to-"  
  
"Maura. All I need is to be next to you, okay? So don't worry about it, I'm more than happy to lay here and just hold you all night."  
  
"I love you, Jane."  
  
Maura slipped into her girlfriend's open arms, laying one arm around her waist and laying her head on Jane's chest. Jane pulled her in closer then laced their fingers together on top of her stomach.  
  
"I love you too, Maur," she replied softly, kissing the top of her head.  
  
She lay there awake and watched as sleep overtook Maura, her face began to relax and her breathing became a slow, even rhythm. Only then did Jane allow herself to drift off as well.  
  


*****

  
The next morning, Jane woke before Maura. The blonde still had her head on Jane's chest, their legs tangled together. Jane wasn't quite sure how they had gotten to this point, but she quickly realized she didn't really care.  
  
One day Maura was her best friend and the next it was like a switch had been flipped and once Jane saw it, she couldn't un-see it. She couldn't fathom how no one had ever bothered to get to know Maura. In Jane's eyes, she was perfect. Maura was the smartest person she had ever met, she was kind, she was funny in her own quirky way. Jane couldn't imagine ever wanting to be with anyone else.  
  
She was going to make an amazing doctor one day. Even if she didn't have her heart set on being a medical examiner, she could have been an amazing surgeon or any kind of doctor she wanted, really.  
  
Jane knew Maura didn't feel she would have the best bedside manner, she was more than a little socially awkward and people tended to make her a bit nervous in general, but Jane knew she would let Maura be her doctor anytime she wanted.  
  
 _Slightly kinky sex fantasies aside._  
  
She felt Maura begin to stir in her arms and she leaned down to place a kiss to her temple.  
  
"Morning, sweetie."  
  
"Mmm, morning, Jane. How did you sleep?"  
  
"Perfectly. How could I not sleep well with you here to keep me company?"  
  
Maura, still not used to the constant compliments that life with Jane brought her, felt a slight blush creep up her cheeks and she tilted her head up to kiss Jane on the cheek.  
  
"I slept very well, too. You make an excellent pillow, you know."  
  
Jane gave her a slight chuckle in response, then leaned down to place a kiss to her lips, pulling the blonde on top of her and wrapping her arms around her waist.  
  
When she pulled away, Jane took a deep breath before asking the question she had been dreading for the last couple days, but she knew she needed to hear it, they needed to have this conversation, no matter what happened as a result.  
  
"Maura, would you still love me if I wasn't a doctor?"  
  
"What? Of course, Jane! I will always love you, no matter what. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well," Jane took a deep breath and tried to look Maura in the eye. "I'm dropping out of med school."  
  
Maura could literally feel her jaw drop.  
  
"What do you mean you're dropping out of med school?"  
  
Maura was shocked. Beyond shocked. Why wouldn't Jane want to become a doctor? Sure, it hadn't been her first choice, but she was doing so well now that she was actually applying herself. Why would she want to give that up?  
  
"I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I just don't know if it's for me."  
  
"But you've been doing so well!"  
  
"I only came here for Gabe. All I wanted was to show him I could be serious, that I could be good enough for him. Now that he's not an issue, I'm starting to realize that's not what I really want."  
  
"What are you going to do with your life then?"  
  
"I..." Jane hesitated. She hadn't told anyone this yet and even to her it still seemed to be a bit crazy. It definitely wouldn't be the easiest career choice, not that being a doctor was easy, but Jane felt like this was something she was just meant to do. "I want to be a cop."  
  
"A cop?"  
  
"Yeah. It's just, when I was figuring out all this stuff about your parents, finding their killer, bringing you a little peace, it was like I was meant to be doing that, you know? And I was good at it. Korsak let me help him out some and being there, in the police department, it was really cool, Maura. It was so interesting and I just felt like I belonged there."  
  
"It sounds like you've really thought this through."  
  
"I have. And I really feel like this is the best choice for me. But, um...are you okay with this?"  
  
Maura was touched Jane would even ask her that. Of course Jane was free to make whatever decision she wanted, just because they were dating, that didn't give Maura any right to dictate what Jane did or didn't do with her future, and she knew that.  
  
Was she really okay with this? With Jane putting herself in the line of fire all the time? Being a police officer was a dangerous line of work, she could be shot, she could be kidnapped, she could be killed. It certainly wouldn't be easy to sit by, wondering if Jane would make it home safely that night.  
  
Of course it wouldn't be easy. But she could tell that Jane wanted this, she knew she wouldn't have brought it up if it weren't something she were serious about.  
  
"I'm okay with this," she replied, finally. "If this is what you really want to do, I support you fully."  
  
Jane responded by kissing her hard, tightening her hold around the blonde's waist. She reached on hand up and ran it through Maura's hair, then brought it down to cup her cheek, then pulled away slightly.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She kissed her once more, then returned to her previous position, holding Maura close against her.  
  
"Your mother is going to hate it."  
  
"She will just be happy I will be closer to home."  
  
"Wait. You're moving back to Boston?"  
  
 _Shit._  
  
"Well...yeah. I mean, New York is alright, but Boston is my home, Maur. There's really no reason to stay if I'm not going to school here, I mean, I-"  
  
"No reason for you to stay? Are you serious?"  
  
Realization of what she had said hit her like a ton of bricks. Of course that wasn't what she meant. She watched as Maura's eyes filled with tears and she began to pull away from Jane's hold on her.  
  
"Shit, no, that's not what I meant. That's not what I meant at all, Maura you know you're important to me."  
  
"Just not enough to want to be with me."  
  
"Of course I want to be with you!"  
  
"New York has a police department too, Jane."  
  
"Boston has doctors too, Maura."  
  
They sat in silence, neither willing to budge. In all honesty, Maura didn't really care if she stayed in New York after she graduated or not. She would have gladly moved back to Boston, there were plenty of hospitals there that would be prestigious enough for Maura to consider.  
  
However, she was still upset that Jane would just make this kind of decision without even talking to her about it. Sure, they hadn't been together for long, but theirs wasn't a typical relationship.  
  
Maura wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jane. She wanted to wake up next to her every day, kiss her goodnight as they fell asleep each night, make dinner together, have a life together.  
  
How could they do that if they didn't live in the same city?  
  
"You weren't even going to discuss this with me?"  
  
"Of course I was!" Jane tried to reply, but the guilty look on her face sold her out. Honestly, no, she hadn't thought to discuss it with Maura. She had taken for granted that Maura would be willing to move back to Boston with her when she graduated, she had just assumed that Maura would be okay with it.  
  
"Okay, no. I wasn't. I'm sorry, Maur," she finally admitted.  
  
"You want to be with me, right?"  
  
"Of course I do."  
  
"Then you have to discuss these things with me, Jane! You can't just make these decisions that affect both of us and expect me to just jump on plank."  
  
"Jump on board, baby."  
  
Maura sent her a glare reminding her that it was probably not the best time to be correcting her.  
  
"I'm sorry. I really am. I was stupid. I didn't think. Of course I can't expect you to just be okay with whatever I decide. We are a couple. So let's talk about it."  
  
"Thank you, that's all I ask."  
  
"Okay. I would like to move back to and live in Boston. How do you feel about that?"  
  
"I am open to the idea. There are several hospitals there I would consider doing my internship with."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Jane couldn't hide the grin from her face. From the way Maura had reacted, she was afraid she would have hated the idea. There was nothing Jane wanted more than to move back to her favorite city with her girlfriend. They would be close to her family and then Maura could finally have the family she's always wanted.  
  
"Really. I think it's a great idea, I know you would love to be closer to your family. And I'm sure you miss your friends."  
  
"I do, but I want this to be the right thing for you too. You are so brilliant, babe, you could do anything or go anywhere. Are you sure this is what you want?"  
  
"I want to be with you, Jane. So yes, this is right for me."  
  
To prove her point, Maura kissed her, pulling her in closer. After a few moments, she moved to Jane's neck leaving light kisses all along her jaw. When she found the spot just behind Jane's ear, the one that made her girlfriend whimper and moan, she spent extra time there, love the sounds she was getting in response.  
  
Continuing on down her neck, she stopped in the dip of Jane's collarbone, swiping it with her tongue, earning another moan. Satisfied with her response, she kissed her way back up to Jane's mouth and captured it with her own, kissing her long and slow, showing her she needed nothing more than to be with her.  
  
Eventually, she pulled back, giving them both time for some air.  
  
"I love you," Maura whispered, then lay her head against Jane's chest, letting out sigh and closing her eyes.  
  
"I love you too, Maur."


	23. Ignorance

A few weeks had passed and Jane was preparing to move back to Boston. Neither she nor Maura were excited about having to deal with a long distance relationship, especially only after two months together, but without her scholarship and grant, Jane couldn't afford to live in New York if she wasn't going to school there and she and Maura agreed that it was much to soon for them to live together.  
  
She did, however, allow Maura to pay for a moving truck to take all her things back to Boston for her so her parents didn't have to drive down and meet her. This meant she was free to stay with Maura for a few days before taking the train home.  
  
It was the day before the first day of Maura's final semester in school and she and Jane were relaxing on her couch, Jane watching a football game, Maura on her laptop doing some research.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
"What is it, babe?"  
  
"Um…" she started hesitantly, giving a fearful look to Jane. "My aunt and uncle are in town. They want to have dinner. Tonight. With both of us."  
  
"What do you mean with both of us?"  
  
Jane knew Maura hadn't told her family they were together, so why would they want her to come to the dinner too? That didn't make any sense. She had only met Constance briefly and they hadn't had the best greeting.  
  
"She said 'bring your friend along too, we would love to get to know her better.' I can only assume she is talking about you."  
  
"Do we have to, Maur? You know they won't like me anyway, so what's the point?"  
  
"I could honestly care less if they like you, Jane."  
  
"Gee, thanks Maura. You're such a charmer."  
  
"What I mean is," she started, giving Jane a pointed look, "I'm not too happy with them right now, in case you've forgotten. If they don't like you, so what? I love you and that's all that matters. I'm not too concerned with their approval right now, not after what they did."  
  
Jane sat up and scooted to the other end of the couch and wrapped her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders. She gave her a kiss on her temple and pulled her in closer.  
  
"We don't have to go, you know. We could play hooky, stay in tonight, watch a movie, cuddle on the couch."  
  
"As wonderful as that sounds, I need to talk to them. I need to know the truth, from them. Will you go with me? Please, Jane?"  
  
"Of course, baby. Anything for you," she replied, placing a kiss to her girlfriend's lips.  
  


*****

  
"Hello, darling. So nice to see you."  
  
Constance ushered them in to the apartment, kissing Maura and Jane on both cheeks and handing their coats to the maid who hung them on the rack by the door. "Jane, lovely to see you again."  
  
Jane simply nodded in response. She knew the less she said tonight, the better. Not only had Constance and Richard hurt Maura while she was growing up, they had also kept this huge secret from her, they had lied to her, and Jane was sure that had hurt Maura even more.  
  
She couldn't help but want to give these two a piece of her mind, but she couldn't. It wasn't her place. Maura was a big girl, and even though Jane was very protective of her, she could fight her own battles, and this was definitely her battle, not Jane's.  
  
The three women walked into the dining room where Maura's uncle was already seated at the head of the table. When they appeared, he stood, shook Jane's hand, kissed Maura on the cheek, then returned to his seat.  
  
Maura nervously took the seat on the right side of the table, Jane across from her. Maura had no idea how she was going to bring up the topic of her parents, but she knew she had to do it before the night was over.  
  
Before she lost her nerve.  
  
They made it through dinner exchanging small talk; Constance spent the majority of the main course and dessert explaining to them how she had been offered a teaching position at an art school in Paris.  
  
After dinner, they all retired to the sitting room and Constance poured them each a glass of wine. Jane tried not to turn her nose up to her glass and drank it politely, even though she hated it. She had sat as close to Maura on the couch as she could without raising suspicion. She knew the blonde was nervous about talking to her family; she kept looking like she was about to speak, but then always backed out.  
  
When Jane noticed her working up her nerve again, she gave her knee a small squeeze and shot her a reassuring smile, urging her to get it over with.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you guys about something."  
  
"What is it, darling?"  
  
"Well, it's about my parents."  
  
Constance visibly tensed and Richard cleared his throat, sat down the newspaper he had been reading and sat up a bit straighter.  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"I know the truth. I know how they really died. Why they really died. But I want to hear it from you. I should have heard it from you, so I'm asking you to tell me the truth, right now."  
  
"The truth about what?"  
  
"You know what. You know exactly what. The truth about my father! He was in the mob. I know you knew, how could you not tell me?"  
  
"Maura, darling, I really don't think we should be discussing all of this in front of your friend. This is a private, family matter."  
  
Maura couldn't believe her. How could she have any right to call herself family after what she did? Jane was closer to family than her aunt and uncle ever would be, how could she possibly not understand that?  
  
 _Obviously, she doesn't see how much Jane means to me._  
  
Before she could stop herself, the words were already out of her mouth and after she said them, she wasn't sure if she wanted to take them back or not.  
  
"She is not my friend, Aunt Constance, she is my girlfriend!"  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
  
"You heard me. Jane is my girlfriend. We are together, so anything you want or need to say to me, you can say in front of her."  
  
Jane had nearly choked on her wine when she heard Maura's confession. She had definitely not expected that to come out of her girlfriend's mouth. One look at Maura told her that she hadn't expected it to either. She could tell the blonde was shaking and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in her arms and hold her, but Jane wasn't entirely sure if that would help or make things worse.  
  
She settled on grabbing Maura's hand and holding it between her own, stroking the top with her thumb. Maura gave her a reassuring smile, telling her she had made the right decision.  
  
"Maura, you can't be serious."  
  
"I've never been more serious about anything. I love her."  
  
"You're just confused, darling. It's college, time for experimenting, I understand that, lord knows I did my share of it, but you don't love her."  
  
"Don't you dare try and tell me how I feel."  
  
"But you're not a  _lesbian."_  
  
Constance said it like there was no worse word in existence. Jane watched as she literally turned her nose up at her, giving her an accusing look like Jane was corrupting her niece.  
  
 _Oh hell no._  
  
She started to stand and open her mouth and as if reading her mind, Maura shook her head at Jane and whispered a soft but curt 'no' and squeezed her hand. Jane slouched back a bit into the couch and clenched her jaw shut, not allowing herself to say the words on the tip of her tongue.  
  
"You're right, I'm not. But I  _am_  in love with Jane. That much I am certain of, she means the world to me and I won't have you treating her otherwise, so you can just accept it or we are leaving."  
  
"We most certainly will not accept that!"  
  
"Then I guess we will be leaving."  
  
"Maura," Richard started. He had been silent throughout the conversation so far, allowing his wife to speak for him. His tone was firm, he meant business and the whole room knew it. "If you leave right now, if you choose this, that will be the end of our relationship."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
Maura could feel the tears filling her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She refused to let them see her cry.  
  
"We will not have you disgracing our family this way. If you choose to be with Jane, fine, but you will no longer be a part of this family. You will be cut off from now on. You make your choice, but you will have to live with the consequences."  
  
"I choose her," she said softly, rising to her feet and pulling Jane with her. "I will always choose her."  
  
She dragged Jane with her through the door, taking their coats from the rack and slamming the door behind her. The second it was closed and they had entered the elevator; she collapsed into Jane's arms, sobs overtaking her body.  
  
Jane knew there was nothing she could say to improve the situation, so she simply held her girlfriend, stroking her hair and hugging her as tight as she could.  
  
That night, Jane held Maura while she slept, though she barely got any herself. She couldn't, not when Maura kept waking up crying, the conversation plaguing her in her dreams.  
  
Jane just hoped Maura wouldn't come to regret this decision one day, all she knew was that she would do everything in her power to keep that from happening.


	24. Moving On

The next morning, shortly after Jane had finally drifted off, Maura woke and snuck out of bed, careful not to wake her girlfriend. She didn't feel like she had slept much at all, how could she after everything that had happened yesterday.  
  
This is exactly why she hadn't wanted to tell her aunt and uncle about her relationship with Jane. She was so afraid something like this would happen, but she honestly never expected them to cut her off completely.  
  
Maura sat down at the counter and opened her laptop, navigating to her online bank statement. Even though she knew it was coming, actually seeing the empty balance hit her like a ton of bricks.  
  
 _They actually did it._  
  
For the first time in her entire life, Maura Isles was flat broke.  
  
She thanked her lucky stars that her uncle had already paid her final tuition bill for Columbia, so at least school was paid for. But what about rent? What about food? How was she supposed to afford to live?  
  
Maura didn't know the first thing about surviving on a budget. It wasn't that she needed to live the lifestyle she had grown up with, the fancy cars, the butlers, the shopping sprees, she didn't need them to be happy, but she had absolutely no experience with this kind of thing.  
  
 _I guess I'll have to get a job._  
  
Maura had never had a job before; she had never needed to. She had no idea what she was even qualified for. She certainly couldn't picture herself working in some fast food restaurant, or even being a waitress. She could probably be a bartender if she knew anything about mixing drinks, but that didn't really seem to fit either.  
  
She sighed as she felt two arms wrap around her shoulders from behind and leaned back into Jane's touch, taking the brunette's hands in her own and pulling her closer.  
  
"They really did it, huh?" she asked, looking at Maura's computer screen.  
  
"Yes, they did. Part of me thought they were just threatening me with it. But apparently, they were quite serious."  
  
"You'll be okay, Maur; it's just money. You don't need it."  
  
"What am I going to do, Jane? I don't know how to do this, the money thing. I've never had to worry about it."  
  
"You'll do like everyone else, you'll figure it out as you go. You're the smartest person I know, Maur, you will be fine, and I will help you in any way I can."  
  
"Then you'll help me find a job?"  
  


*****

  
A couple months had passed since Maura's blow up with her aunt and uncle. Jane had moved back to Boston a few days later and had gotten a job at a local photography studio while she waited to be able to join the Boston Police Academy. The job offered her relatively good pay so she was able to take the train to New York to visit Maura for a few days every few weeks.  
  
Maura had given up her job search after a couple weeks when she realized she was far too busy with school to have enough time to work. Instead, she ended up selling off a few of her more expensive pieces of jewelry to cover her rent for her last few months in New York.  
  
The two hadn't seen each other since Valentine's Day when Jane had surprised Maura by showing up outside her final class of the day with flowers and took her out for a nice dinner, then the two had watched a movie at home and spent the night in each others arms.  
  
That was three weeks ago.  
  
Even though they talked everyday, they would skype in the evenings and send each other texts throughout the day, Maura's spring break was coming up next week and Jane was going to get to spend nine straight days with her girlfriend and she couldn't be more excited.  
  
When she finally made her way into Maura's apartment Friday night, it was mere seconds before the blonde jumped into her arms, throwing her own around Jane's neck and her legs around Jane's waist. Caught off guard, Jane stumbled a bit before resting her hands under Maura's thighs, supporting her as the blonde peppered light kisses all over her girlfriend's face.  
  
Finally, Maura found Jane's lips and kissed her with all the passion she could muster. She had missed Jane terribly over the last few weeks. Maura had spent the majority of her time alone as a child and even as a teenager and in college, but it wasn't until she knew what it was like to have Jane in her life that she had ever felt truly alone.  
  
"I missed you, baby."  
  
"I missed you, too, Jane. Don't ever leave me for that long again. Promise?"  
  
Jane nodded, "Cross my heart and hope to die."  
  
"Why on earth would you hope to die?" Maura asked her, a horror stricken look appearing on her face.  
  
"Nevermind, honey. It's just a phrase."  
  
Jane gently dropped Maura to her feet and grabbed Jane's hand, leading her toward the bedroom.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I missed you so much, Jane, " Maura began, a sly smile on her lips. "And now I want to show you just how much."  
  
"Are you sure, Maur? If you're not ready, we can wait. Really, it's okay."  
  
"I've never been more sure of anything."  
  
When they finally reached Maura's bedroom, she pulled Jane inside and pushed her down on the bed, then climbed on top of her, straddling her waist. She leaned down and kissed Jane just below her ear, then whispered in the most seductive voice she could muster.  
  
"Make love to me, Jane."  
  
Jane didn't need to be told twice.  
  
That night they made love for hours until both were too spent to stay awake any longer. Before they dozed off, Maura curled into Jane's side, her head lying on the brunette's chest, Jane's arms wrapped protectively around her and Maura was certain she had never felt anything quite so perfect.  
  


*****

  
The next morning, Jane awoke before Maura, something rather unusual for the two of them and she relished in the opportunity to watch the beauty sleep in her arms. She looked so peaceful, so relaxed, so beautiful.  
  
Jane couldn't believe the incredible night they had. She certainly hadn't been expecting that when she had arrived, but now that she had experienced what it was like to make love to Maura, she didn't think she could ever get enough.  
  
It was so different than with Gabe.  
  
 _Obviously, Rizzoli, of course it's going to be different with a girl than a guy._  
  
But it wasn't just that. It felt not just physically different, but emotionally different. Jane knew Maura had never done it before, but honestly, she couldn't tell. Of course, knowing Maura, she had probably done countless hours of research on the subject.  
  
Whatever she did though, it was working.  
  
She had made Jane feel things she wasn't even aware she was capable of. She felt like they were connected, like they were two parts of one whole that finally found their way back to one another. She had certainly never felt that way with Gabe.  
  
With Gabe, it was always just about sex. He was only every really concerned with getting himself off, many times, Jane didn't even get a chance to finish before Gabe would fall next to her, breathing heavy, talking about how incredible that was. Jane would always fight the urge to roll her eyes, then feign being tired and roll over and go to sleep.  
  
With Maura, it was so much different. Her primary concern was making sure Jane was happy and satisfied, the act was so selfless for both of them and it made it that much more incredible.  
  
Jane pressed a kiss to the top of Maura's head and slowly detangled herself, careful not to wake her. She quickly threw on some clothes then quietly made her way down the hall and into the kitchen deciding to surprise Maura with breakfast in bed.  
  
She got out all the ingredients to make pancakes and began mixing the batter. While she was looking for a spatula to flip them with, she noticed a pile of letters in one of the drawers. Jane had no intention of snooping through Maura's things, but the return address stamp on the first on caught her eye.  
  
 _Seattle Grace Hospital?_  
 _Hopkins?_  
 _Tulane?_  
 _UCLA?_  
  
She opened the first one and saw that it was an acceptance letter to their internship program. Jane's first instinct was to be proud of her girlfriend for so many different hospitals wanting her to work there, but then she felt the pang of anger when she realized that none of these were in Boston.  
  
Hadn't the two of them just talked about this a few weeks ago?  
  
Maura had been fine with moving back to Boston then. What had changed? And why didn't she tell her?  
  
She sorted through the rest of the letters, finding eight in total, only one of which was in Boston. She didn't know whether to be angry or disappointed, but she tried her best to not jump to conclusions, but it was difficult.  
  
She turned back to her pancakes, staking them on a plate and finishing them off with a little syrup.  
  
Would Maura really move all the way to Seattle? Or California?  
  
Would she really just pack up and leave Jane behind?  
  
She walked back into Maura's bedroom with the two plates of food and gently woke her girlfriend, determined not to bring up what she had found.  
  
That lasted all of two minutes.  
  
"I found some interesting letters in the kitchen while I was making breakfast."  
  
Maura froze.  
  
Of course she knew exactly which letters Jane was referring to. It wasn't that she planned on hiding it, she just wasn't sure how to bring it up to Jane.  
  
She loved Jane. She wanted to be with Jane. Of course, she wanted to live in the same city as Jane, but this was a big decision. This could affect the rest of her life if she didn't pick the right internship.  
  
"When were you going to tell me?"  
  
"Jane, I…"  
  
"You said you were fine with moving back to Boston. You said you wanted to go, that you wanted to work there, and now you might be going to California?"  
  
"This is a big decision, Jane! You can't just expect me to be okay with whatever you decide for us! I have my career to think about too, you know. I can't let you make this decision for me."  
  
"So that's it? You're just going to leave?"  
  
"I didn't say that! I said I didn't know yet. I haven't had the proper amount of time to weigh all of my options. I haven't done the proper research, I just got the letters a couple days ago!"  
  
Jane didn't say anything; she simply folded her arms across her chest and let out a sigh.  
  
"If I did leave, we could make it work. It wouldn't be ideal, of course, but we could do it," Maura paused for a bit, trying to catch Jane's eye, but Jane refused to look up. Maura sighed, blinking back tears, "I thought you loved me enough to want what's best for me."  
  
"I do love you, Maura."  
  
"Then prove it."  
  
Jane met her eye for a brief moment, then looked away quickly and stood from the bed. She slipped on her shoes and began walking toward the door before Maura spoke again.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I just need to clear my head."  
  
"Jane, don't walk away from me," Maura demanded, standing from the bed to follow Jane down the hall toward the front door. "Jane!"  
  
Just as Jane was about to open the door, she spun around, taking Maura into her arms and pressed a bruising kiss to her girlfriend's lips. Before Maura could get her arms around Jane's neck, the brunette was pulling away and opening the door. Maura watched as she slipped out and gently closed the door behind her.  
  
Maura couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes anymore; she turned toward her empty apartment and leaned back against the door before sliding down to a sitting position. She rested her forehead on her knees and let the tears continue to fall wondering how their perfect night had turned into such a disaster.


	25. Picking Up the Pieces

Maura had no idea how long she sat on the floor crying, not out of sadness, but out of anger. Maura honestly couldn't remember a time when she had been more furious than she was right now.  
  
How dare she?  
  
 _How dare Jane walk out on me? How dare she think she has any right to tell me where I'm supposed to live? Did she even for one second consider moving wherever I needed to for my career? No, she didn't._  
  
 _She just expects me to do whatever fits in her plan. Well, what about my plan?_  
  
Maura had given up everything for Jane. She had given up her family, her money, and now Jane wanted her career too?  
  
She had meant what she said, there were hospitals in Boston where she could easily work and get the valuable experience she deserved, she had been accepted to work at Massachusetts General Hospital, it was a very prestigious program.  
  
 _But is it the right one for me?_  
  
Maura finally was able to dry her tears and pull herself up from the floor and move to the couch. She sat down and pulled her knees into her chest and attempted to calm herself by taking deep breaths and attempting to push Jane from her mind.  
  
It worked for a few minutes until she heard the key turn in the look and the door opened, revealing Jane, hair a mess, eyes red, Maura assumed from crying, she closed the door behind her and walked over to the couch and sat next to the blonde.  
  
"I'm sorry, Maura."  
  
Maura didn't answer. If Jane thought she was going to get off that easily, she had another thing coming.  
  
"I didn't mean to upset you, I was just surprised. Confused. I just…I'm really sorry."  
  
Maura continued to stare at the wall in front of her, still refusing to answer.  
  
"So you're not talking to me now?"  
  
Maura sighed, not ready to have this conversation. Of course they would have to speak eventually, but honestly, and Maura never thought she would say this, she wished Jane hadn't come back quite so soon.  
  
"You can't keep doing this to me."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Do you, though? Do you even get why I'm so upset, Jane? You promised me. You promised me you wouldn't walk away from me again, and that's exactly what you did!"  
  
"Maura, I-"  
  
"No, I'm not finished. You don't get to come here and demand I move to a different city just because that's where you want to be, then when I don't jump on board immediately, you sulk like a child and run away from the problem. Did you ever once consider moving somewhere to be with me? No, you didn't, because it's all about you. It's always about you."  
  
Maura paused for a brief moment, taking a deep breath and gathering her thoughts.  
  
"You don't get to treat me like this, Jane, I'm not your property, you can't just make decisions for both of us without even asking my opinion! If you want to talk about it, fine, I'm more than willing to discuss it, but don't act like I've betrayed you because you're not my only priority."  
  
The two sat in silence for a moment, Maura too angry to say anything else, Jane too stunned. Finally, Jane sighed and broke the tension.  
  
"You're right. You're completely right. I was selfish. I really am sorry, Maur."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"You know I'm not good at this stuff! I'm not good with the talking about emotions thing. I act; typically, without thoroughly thinking things through and without much regard to the consequences; that, I'm sorry for. You don't deserve that. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions when I saw the letters. And while I'm at it, I'm sorry I even read them. But mostly, I'm really sorry I left. You were right. I said I wouldn't leave again and I did. All I can do is promise you I won't walk away again and do anything I can to make it up to you."  
  
Maura couldn't help but smile a little. She was sure she had never heard Jane speak for that long at one time, and she had certainly never willingly admitted to her faults. She was in no way ready to forgive Jane completely, but she knew it was only a matter of time.  
  
Maura leaned toward Jane and rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. She grabbed Jane's hand and laced their fingers together, then sat them both down on Jane's thigh.  
  
"I still haven't forgiven you yet."  
  
"You don't seem to be too upset with me anymore."  
  
"Oh, I'm very upset with you," Maura replied, lifting her head to look at Jane. "But I also love you. So I will forgive you. Just not yet."  
  
"Well, I meant what I said. I'm really sorry. And I'm willing to talk, whenever you're ready. I promise I won't go anywhere, I'll listen to everything you have to say and won't jump to any conclusions about anything."  
  
Maura nodded and placed her head back on Jane's shoulder and turned on the TV, desperate to get a little bit of distraction from their fight. She put it on one of her favorite documentary shows, she knew Jane would never disagree with her on what to watch right now, but she couldn't seem to focus.  
  
All she could think about was this decision she had to make. She was graduating in two months; she had 60 days to figure out what she was going to do.  
  
Boston was the easy choice. Maura had met with the pathologist there when he had come to Columbia for her interview and they had gotten along well. Their program was well above average and she could easily learn all she needed to and more there.  
  
And, of course, Jane would be there. They would be able to see each other everyday; Maura would get to know Jane's family better. She and Angela had been emailing back and forth for a couple months now and they got along wonderfully, Maura couldn't wait to have that in real life. She knew Angela had already accepted her as another daughter and she reminded Maura so much of her own mother, she couldn't help but want to bond with her.  
  
But there were so many other factors to consider.  
  
Hopkins. The name alone was enough to make her want to pick it. Who walks away from an offer from Johns Hopkins? They had a top-notch facility, the name would certainly look more impressive on her resume, and it was the second deadliest city in the country.  
  
Maura wasn't sure if that was in the pro column or the con column. On one hand, it was a good thing, she would never run out of opportunities to learn more and help solve cases.  
  
On the other hand, she could be murdered.  
  
On the other hand, it seemed like a nice enough place, murders aside, and she could wake up singing that Hairspray song "Good Morning, Baltimore" everyday.  
  
 _Wait, when did I grow a third hand?_  
  
And Baltimore didn't have Jane. In fact, it was even farther away from Boston than New York.  
  
 _Can I really live apart from her for four years?_  
  
 _Can we even survive that?_  
  
Maura knew she couldn't put off the decision much longer. The stress of all the wondering and worrying and going back and forth trying to make up her mind was really starting to wear on her, so she made up her mind. She would decide by the next morning and then she would tell Jane and they would deal with whatever may come from that.  
  
Maura looked up at Jane, who smiled and placed a light kiss to her forehead, then turned back to the show and the blonde resumed her previous position.  
  
 _It's going to be a long night._


	26. You and I

Neither Maura nor Jane brought up the topic of Maura's residency again that day, though neither would admit that it was all they were thinking about.  
  
The two spent the day on the couch, in each other's arms. Jane made them lunch, and then made them dinner as well. Maura could see she was trying to make up for leaving that morning, though she couldn't say it was really helping her case all that much.  
  
Still, Maura could get used to being waited on like this.  
  
After dinner, they settled down for a movie in bed, Maura's choice and when the credits started rolling, she had finally worked up the nerve to bring the topic up again.  
  
Jane turned off the tv and laid back down, Maura's head resting on her chest, their fingers intertwined on Jane's stomach.  
  
"Okay, I'm ready to talk now."  
  
"And I'm ready to listen."  
  
Even in the dark, Maura could feel the smile Jane was giving her and it made her heart race a bit, but calmed her nerves at the same time.  
  
"First of all, I'm not going to California."  
  
"You're not?"  
  
"No. There is much more to offer on the east coast, going to California would be a waste."  
  
"Okay, so what are your options then?"  
  
"Well, MassGen, of course."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Maura rolled her eyes at Jane's tone. At least she seemed to be in a better mood than when they talked this morning. That was definitely nice to see.  
  
"And then there's Hopkins."  
  
"Where is that again?"  
  
"Baltimore."  
  
"That's pretty far away," Jane replied, and Maura could feel her frowning.  
  
"Yes, it is. It's about eight hours in the car. But only an hour and a half flight, so really, that's not too bad. And at least it's in the same time zone, so we wouldn't have to deal with that. I mean, assuming you would want to continue-"  
  
Jane cut her off with a kiss to the lips, "I would."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Muar, I love you, I want to be with you, you being a few states away isn't going to change that."  
  
Maura smiled at her, then kissed her quickly, "I love you, you know that?"  
  
"I know you do, baby."  
  
"So what do you think?" Maura asked her.  
  
"I think it's your decision and I will support whatever you think is best."  
  
"But I would really like your opinion."  
  
"Well, then, I think you should go to Hopkins. You deserve to get the best experience there is and it sounds like you can get it there. So you should go, and we will make it work. I love you and I just want what's best for you."  
  
Maura was silent for a moment, mulling over her decision. Even in the dark, she could see Jane's eyes perfectly in her mind and she stared right into where she knew they were and instantly, she knew what she had to do.  
  
"Okay, I've made my decision," Maura said, a grin appearing on her face.  
  
"You have?"  
  
"I have."  
  
Maura lifted her head to kiss Jane on the cheek, smiling at her once again, then laid her head back down.  
  
"Well, what is it?"  
  
"It's a really great decision."  
  
She giggled as she could feel Jane rolling her eyes and the brunette let out a huge sigh, her frustration evident, "Maur, please. Just tell me!"  
Maura kissed her again, this time finding her lips and pulling her in closer, kissing her until they were both breathless, than pulled away, both panting slightly.  
  
"I choose you, Jane. I will always choose you."  
  
Maura grinned at her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Maura wrapped her hands behind Jane's neck and curled her fingers into the dark raven hair. She felt Jane wrap her arms around her waist and Jane then pulled the blonde on top of her, holding her as close as she possibly could. Finally, she pulled away, concern on her face.  
  
"Are you sure, Maur? I really only want what's best for you, and if that's going to Baltimore then you should-"  
  
Before Jane could finish her sentence, Maura's lips were on hers once again and she was effectively silenced by the blonde.  
  
"I'm sure. You know why?"  
  
Jane shook her head until she remembered that they were lying in the dark and Maura couldn't see her, when she replied with a no.  
  
"The only thing I ever cared about was my career. At first, I was focused on studying hard to get into a good prep school. Then it was getting into BCU, the Columbia. And my whole time here, I've never done anything but worked toward being able to work wherever I wanted. I don't regret it, but…I missed out on so much. I never made friends or went to parties or did anything but studied."  
  
She paused for a moment and Jane tucked a curl behind her ear, then kissed her forehead.  
  
"And then I met you and everything started to change. I never cared about anything more than my career, but I do care about you more. You're more important, and I want to be with you. I want to be near you. I can get just as good of an education in Boston, so really, it's a win-win situation."  
  
"And you're absolutely, 100% sure about this?"  
  
"Definitely, " Maura assured her, nodding her head and feeling more confident than she had in weeks. She knew she wouldn't regret this decision, she knew that it was time to start putting the people in her life ahead of her career. Of course she still wanted to become the top in her field, but she was also learning that it couldn't be her only priority.  
  
She and Jane would make this work, that she was sure of.


	27. Stay Stay Stay

Jane and Maura spent the rest of Maura's spring break doing quite a bit of nothing, other than the few tests the blonde needed to study for and Jane helped her the best she could, though most of her medical knowledge was rather basic in comparison to Maura's and she found she wasn't really all that much help.  
  
They slept in every morning, enjoying the feeling of waking up in each other's arms. Jane couldn't believe how fast the week was going and before she knew it, it was her finally morning before returning to Boston and she wanted to do nothing more than just stay in bed all day.  
  
 _Just cuddling, of course._  
  
 _Okay…maybe a little more than cuddling._  
  
When she noticed Maura was waking next to her, she rolled over to face the blonde and couldn't help but smile at the sight. Maura, who never liked looking less than put together, looked absolutely perfect in that moment. Her hair had started to fall out of the loose French braid she had worn yesterday and the remainder of her eyeliner was smudged a bit. Her cheeks had a slight pink tint to them and Jane was sure she had never looked more adorable.  
  
She couldn't help herself as she captured Maura's lips with her own and rolled on top of her and ran one hand down Maura's torso while supporting herself with her other. When she sensed that her girlfriend needed to come up for air, she pulled back, a goofy grin on her face.  
  
"Morning."  
  
"Good morning to you, too. To what do I owe this lovely wake up call?"  
  
"You just looked too beautiful not to kiss."  
  
The blonde felt a slight blush grace her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly, pulling Jane into another kiss.  
  
"Are you sure you have to leave today?"  
  
Maura gave Jane her best pout and used her 'sad puppy eyes' as Jane put it, hoping to convince her to stay, even just another day or two. She could tell it wasn't working though when Jane sighed then leaned down to kiss her softly.  
  
"You know I don't want to leave."  
  
"Doesn't make it any easier to let you go."  
  
Maura kissed her again, determined not to waste any of their final day together. Jane reluctantly rolled off of her, then pulled her to her feet and handed her the robe draped across the chair next to the bed. Jane threw on a pair of shorts and her nearest hoodie and the two shuffled down the hall toward the kitchen.  
  
Jane made them French toast and sausage and they scarfed it down as if they hadn't eaten for days. Practically the moment they were finished, Maura stood and placed their plates in the sink, then turned to walk out of the kitchen.  
  
"I think I would like to spend the rest of the day naked in bed with you," she said, bluntly, then smiled at Jane, "you coming?"  
Jane cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her girlfriend.  
  
"I thought you weren't supposed to exercise for 30 minutes after you ate."  
  
Maura gave Jane her best 'are you really telling me know right now?' look and walked back toward the bedroom, swaying her hips a little extra just to make Jane want her even more, if that was possible, anyway. Within seconds Jane was out of the chair and chasing her down the hall.  
  
The two spent the rest of the day making love and simply enjoying being in the other's arms. Sometimes, they talked about everything, sometimes they didn't say a word, but both of them felt the day was perfect.  
  
It came to an end all too soon and Maura gave Jane a teary hug as she entered the cab and headed for the train station and then realized she missed her the instant she pulled away.  
  
This semester couldn't end soon enough.  
  
 _I can't wait to be back in Boston with her._  
  


*****

  
It was late when Jane arrived back in Boston, so she got a cab to take her the short distance from the train station to her house. At first it was weird, living at home again after being on her own for the last few years, but she eventually got used to it. Except her mother waking her up at an ungodly hour every morning.  
  
That she was sure she would never get used to.  
  
She slipped in the front door using her key and crept up the stairs to her bedroom, saying a quick hello to Frankie and Tommy who were engrossed in some video game in the living room.  
  
When she finally reached her bed, she flopped down, suddenly exhausted from the train ride. She glanced at her phone to check the time and as if she knew Jane had just walked in the door, a text message from Maura appeared on the screen.  
  
"Hope you made it home alright, just wanted to say that I love you and miss you already. See you soon, sweetheart."  
  
Jane knew she was grinning like an idiot and even though she knew no one could see her, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed at the effect Maura had over her. She typed a quick reply, then turned out the light and quickly dozed off, hoping her mother would at least wait until the sun was up to wake her.  
  


*****

  
Angela did wait a bit longer than usually to wake her daughter the next day, but by eight o'clock, she was knocking on Jane's door, calling her down to breakfast. Jane stumbled out of bed and straightened her clothes, not bothering to change out of what she had worn home from New York.  
  
"Honestly, Jane, you look like you slept in those clothes."  
  
"Probably because I did, Ma. It's not like I'm leaving the house so I don't see what the big deal is."  
  
"You could have at least changed." Angela had a slight frown on her face, but placed a stack of pancakes in front of her then moved to give her daughter a small hug from the side. "I'm happy you're back. Did you and Maura have a nice time?"  
  
"Yeah, it was good. I really missed her. It was nice to get to see her for more than 48 hours at a time."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And...what?"  
  
"Come on, Jane, you call me, totally freaking out that Maura might be moving across the country in a few months, then you tell me no more, just a text saying 'It's all good, don't worry.' No word on what is happening and you expect me not to be curious? So what did she decide?"  
  
Jane couldn't hide the grin on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy about the direction her life was taking.  
  
"She's moving back here."  
  
"Oh, honey, that's wonderful! It's going to be so nice having her around all the time, she's a lovely girl, I'm so happy you guys are making it work."  
  
"Me too, Ma, me too."  
  
Jane continued to make her way through her stack of pancakes, but started to feel a bit nervous. She had to talk to her mother about this, she knew it, but she was afraid of Angela's reaction. Her mother had been nothing but supportive of her relationship with Maura, but Jane didn't know how far she could push it right now before her mom freaked out about the situation.  
  
Finally, when she had taken her last bite, Jane took a deep breath and looked up at her mother. "Ma, I need to tell you something."  
  
"Why do you sound so terrified? I mean, it's not like Maura got you pregnant, so it can't be that bad."  
  
"Ma!" Jane shrieked, shocked her mother would say that. Sometimes she couldn't believe the things that came out of that woman's mouth.  
  
"Janie, what is it?"  
  
"I, uh...I want to ask Maura if she wants to live together."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"What do you mean, is that all?!" Jane couldn't believe it, she was sure her mother would freak out about this, how could she act so nonchalant?  
  
"Well, it makes sense, really. I mean, if she's going to be living here, odds are you will be over at her place all the time anyway, so you might as well."  
  
"I can't believe you're so okay with this."  
  
"Why wouldn't I be? You don't give me enough credit, Jane, I'm not so uptight or old-fashioned as you might think. You two are adults, if you want to live together, you should live together."  
  
Jane smiled up at her and walked over to her, giving her a hug. "Thanks, Ma"  
  
"Anytime, baby."  
  


*****

  
Jane waited as long as she could before calling Maura that night. She knew her girlfriend had two big tests that week that she needed to study for, but after her talk with her mother, Jane was anxious to ask Maura if she would move in with her.  
  
She distracted herself all day with thoughts of them waking up together everyday, having breakfast before work, cooking dinner together in the evenings, relaxing on their couch watching movies.  
  
It seemed pretty damn perfect if you asked her.  
  
Finally at 9:16, Jane dialed the all too familiar number and couldn't help but smile when she heard the voice on the other end of the line.  
  
"Hey baby, I'm not bothering you, am I?"  
  
"You're never a bother, Jane."  
  
Before she could stop it, a rush of words came out of Jane's mouth, as she instantly felt sick, what if Maura said no? What if she didn't think they were ready for that? What if I ruin things?  
  
"I can call back if you're studying or something, it's not a big deal, I just wanted to talk to you, but I could call back, maybe now isn't a good time. You know what, it can wait, no big deal, we will just talk about it tomorrow or the next day or something-"  
  
"Jane! You're rambling. You sound nervous. What is it?"  
  
"I, uh…I want to ask you something."  
  
"Okay, ask me then."  
  
"You say that like it's so easy."  
  
"It is. Just say the words. Honestly, Jane, it's just me, I don't know what you could possibly be worried about."  
  
"Do you want to live with me?"  
  
Maura was silent for a beat and couldn't help but reply in a truly shocked tone, she had never expected Jane to ask her that, "what?"  
  
"I think we should live together. When you come back. To Boston. I think…I think it would be a good idea."  
  
"I…you do?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. I mean. If you want to. You don't have to say yes, I guess. I just…I thought…"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Jane let out a huge sigh of relief and felt herself grinning once again, "yes?"  
  
"Yes. I think we should live together."  
  
The two talked for another hour about the details, where they wanted to live, if Maura would have time to come up and look at places with her, what they could afford, what their lives would be like.  
  
That night, both of them went to bed with a smile on their face, each looking forward to their future together.


	28. I'll Be There For You

Maura Isles was having the worst week of her life.  
  
That statement alone shows how stressed she is, she is never one for using hyperbole or exaggeration, but here she is talking about the worst week of her life. It's the final week before graduation and she has so many things to do, she has barely slept in days.  
  
Between finalizing plans for graduation, Jane and the rest of her family were coming in for the ceremony in a few days and Jane told her they could do whatever she wanted to celebrate. Maura knew she was trying to be sweet when she said 'plan whatever you want' but that was just one more thing she didn't want to have to think about.  
  
It was more than enough for her that all five of them were coming; she had honestly only expected Jane to come, maybe Angela too, but never the rest of them. She had only met them once, after all, but it meant the world to her that they already thought of her as family.  
  
It was Tuesday night and Maura had her last two final exams over the next two days, then she had Thursday and Friday to pack before Jane and her family arrived Friday evening for her graduation on Saturday. She knew the material well, but she kept waking up in a cold sweat at night from nightmares where she couldn't remember a single thing and failed both tests.  
  
It was enough to keep her up studying the material until she fell asleep at her desk.  
  
It was nearing ten o'clock when skype notified her that Jane was calling. She opened the window and couldn't have been happier to see her girlfriend's face smiling back at her.  
  
"Jane! It's so good to see you!"  
  
"Hey baby, it's good to see you too. How is the studying going?"  
  
"Horribly," Maura frowned at her.  
  
"I'm sure it's going fine, Maur, you're a genius, you know this stuff like the back of your hand. You're going to go in tomorrow and ace that test. I know it."  
  
"I appreciate your confidence in me, Jane, but you're hardly psychic, you can't know I'm going to ace the test."  
  
"But I know you and I believe in you."  
  
Maura smiled at her, but it faded quickly, "I keep having this nightmare that I fail the tests and then I don't graduate and I can't be a doctor."  
  
Jane smiled at her, attempting to get Maura to smile back at her, then her smile grew a bit wider when she saw that it was working, "that's not going to happen, Maur. You can do this. It's just a dream."  
  
Maura sighed and opened her mouth to speak before shutting it again, looking hesitant.  
  
"What is it, baby?" Jane asked her.  
  
"It's just…I miss you. I haven't been this stressed since…well, I don't even know when. I feel like there is so much to do and I can't think about any of it except for studying. I haven't even begun to pack my things; I have no plans for celebrating graduation; I am going to fail these tests and I damn it, I need a hug."  
  
Maura wiped the single tear from her cheek that fell out of frustration. She realized how truly unlike herself she sounded; she never would have thought she would need a hug; that just wasn't her. She grew up without them after her parents died so she was used to dealing with things alone, but for the past 48 hours, all she wanted was to feel Jane's arms wrapped around her.  
  
Jane's frown grew as she finished her speech and she looked absolutely helpless behind her computer screen from 200 miles away. Never did she want to be there for Maura more than right now and it was killing her that she couldn't somehow magically teleport there.  
  
"I wish I could do something, Maur. I mean, I can do the graduation thing, you don't worry about that, I've got it covered, but I wish I could do more, but there's not much else I can do from here."  
  
"I know, Jane. I will figure it out. Thank you, for talking to me, it really did help."  
  
Maura shot her a smile, the most genuine she had given anyone in days. Talking to Jane had helped calm her a bit, even though she still felt stressed, it was at least a bit more manageable now.  
  
"Anytime, sweetheart. What time is your test tomorrow morning?"  
  
"Eight. I should be done by ten. Why?"  
  
"Just wanted to be sure I'm thinking about you while you're in there. Sending you good vibes and all that."  
  
Jane smiled at her and Maura laughed in response, ready to weigh in on exactly how much thinking of her wouldn't help her pass the test, but she stopped herself and instead thanked Jane.  
  
"I should really get back to my studying. I'll talk to you tomorrow after my test, okay?"  
  
"Okay, Maur, good luck, I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Jane, goodnight."  
  
"Night, baby."  
  


*****

  
Maura ended up staying awake all night pouring over her notes, rereading articles and chapters from her books until she had to leave for her test at 7:30. She felt as prepared as she could be, but in the back of her mind, she was still nervous that one of her dreams from the last few nights would come true and she would fail.  
  
As she began answering the questions, however, she felt her confidence return; she answered every question with ease and knew she had studied all the right information.  
  
True to her prediction, she left the classroom at 9:55 feeling like Jane was right, she did ace that test. She walked out of the room and stopped dead in her tracks when she looked across to the other side of the hall. When her mind finally caught up to her eyes, she broke out into a sprint and crossed the hall in just three steps and threw her arms around the brunette.  
  
"Jane, what are you doing here?!"  
  
"I heard you needed a hug."  
  
"You came all the way to New York to give me a hug?"  
  
Jane nodded, a slight blush creeping up her neck, as she feared maybe she had overreacted a bit to Maura's stress last night and maybe she had gone too far.  
  
"Too much?" she asked, fearful of Maura's answer. Her fears were calmed, however, when Maura squeezed her neck tighter and whispered in her ear, "You're prefect."  
  
Jane took her hand and led her out of the building and toward her apartment. "So, how did it go?"  
  
"It went well. I was a bit worried-"  
  
"A bit?" Jane cut in, earning a smack to the arm from her girlfriend.  
  
"Yes! I was a bit worried, especially considering the fact that I didn't get any sleep last night, but it went well, I felt very confident, I am sure that I, as you would say, aced it."  
  
"See, I am psychic."  
  
"You are not psychic, Jane."  
  
"Sure I am. Watch. I predict you will love me forever. I'll ask you in eighty years if that's still true and if it is, I'm psychic. If not, you win."  
  
"I assure you, Jane, if that is not true in eighty years, I will have won nothing."  
  


*****

  
When they arrived back in Maura's apartment, the two crashed in Maura's bed immediately, Maura exhausted from studying all night, Jane from getting up before dawn to drive to New York. Even though she still had one test left to take, for the first time in a week, Maura slept nightmare free and woke easily that afternoon with Jane's arms still wrapped around her.  
  
She took a moment to enjoy gazing at the brunette without distraction but couldn't stand it for too long before she found herself unable to keep from kissing her.  
  
Maura softly kissed her awake and Jane grinned back at her when she opened her eyes.  
  
"Part of me was afraid I would wake up and you being here would have just been some kind of dream."  
  
"I am no dream. And I am here to help you with whatever you need, help you study, pack for you, run errands for you, anything you need, just say the word, I'm there."  
  
"Have I told you lately that you're perfect?"  
  
"You might have mentioned that earlier, but I never mind hearing it again."  
  
"Well you are," Maura stated, kissing her again. "Come on, let's get some lunch, then you can start packing while I study."  
  
Maura pulled her out of bed and dragged her down the hall toward the kitchen, never breaking contact. Maura couldn't help but get excited about waking up like this every single day once they were back in Boston in their own apartment. Maura certainly never would have expected her life to turn out this way when she met Jane nine months ago, but she knew she wouldn't change a thing.


	29. Right Here, Right Now

By Saturday morning, Maura had successfully passed all of her classes, not that anyone thought she wouldn't, and she and Jane had packed the majority of her apartment, save for the things they would need today and tomorrow. Maura's graduation was set to begin at eleven that morning, and she was much more calm than Jane would have expected.  
  
Jane had expected her to be a bit more of an emotional wreck. School was all she had ever really cared about, she had always put her whole focus on it and now that it was ending, Jane figured she would be a bit sad, but Maura seemed to be nothing but excited.  
  
At nine o'clock that morning, Jane heard a knock at the door and opened it to find her family on the other side. Her parents both hugged her and Tommy complained about having to get up so early for someone he barely knew.  
  
"Really, Tommy, you can just go ahead and get over it. You're up and you're going, might as well be happy about it. Maura might as well be your sister now, so you will treat her as such."  
  
Tommy muttered a fine and Jane left to get Maura from the bedroom so they could make it to the ceremony on time. When she entered the room, she found the blonde sitting on the edge of the bed, purse in hand, a frozen look on her face.  
  
 _Just what I was afraid of._  
  
"Maura, sweetie, are you alright?"  
  
Maura didn't answer, she just kept looking straight ahead until Jane dropped to her knees in front of her and lifted her chin so she could meet her eyes.  
  
"Maur?"  
  
"Did your mom mean that?"  
  
"Mean what?" Jane asked, truly confused about what she could possibly be talking about.  
  
"That I might as well be their sister. She really…she thinks of me as family?"  
  
Jane breathed a sigh of relief, happy that's what this was about and not something she couldn't fix.  
  
"Of course she does, baby, she loves you. They all do."  
  
"I'm just not used to it. Having people who care like that. Even my aunt and uncle, they never really cared. No one did, except my parents. I just…I'm really happy they are here."  
  
Jane smiled at her and took her hand, leading her into the living room. "Come on, baby, time for you to become Dr. Isles."  
  
Maura beamed at her. It was hard to believe after all these years, this was finally happening. She was finally going to become a doctor, everything she had worked for was finally coming true and it only made it even better that she was getting to share it all with Jane.  
  
It took mere seconds for Angela to wrap Maura in a hug when they walked in the room, "Maura, sweetie, I'm so proud of you. I always wanted Janie to marry a doctor, you know."  
  
"Woah, woah, woah, no one's getting married today," Jane protested, nearly choking on air when Angela had suggested it.  
  
"I didn't say today! Still, it will be nice to have a doctor in the family."  
  
"Well let's not get any crazy ideas, all I'm saying. Everyone ready?"  
  
Jane didn't wait for an answer and she began shoeing them all out into the hallway and into the elevator. Just before she walked out, Angela pulled Maura aside. "I really mean that, Maura. I just wanted you to know. You're family now, whether you two ever get married or not. Though I'm sure you will. Nevertheless, I will always think of you as a daughter."  
  
Angela gave her a quick hug before pulling back and said in her ear in a low voice, "You know, I always thought it would be Gabriel, but I'm really happy it's you."  
  
Maura smiled at her, she didn't trust herself with words, afraid she the tears she could feel piling up would spill over. She couldn't believe how accepting Jane's family had been of her, but it couldn't have come at a better time.  
  
If she couldn't have her own family, maybe she could at least make a new one with Jane's.  
  


*****

  
They arrived at the ceremony in plenty of time, Jane gave Maura one final hug before she sent her on her way to get her gown in place and get ready for her speech. Maura had been named valedictorian of her class and though she couldn't be more proud of herself, she was a little nervous about talking in front of so many people.  
  
She made sure she knew exactly where Jane was sitting and planned on delivering her speech solely to her. That she could handle.  
  
Meanwhile, Jane and her family moved to their seats, the boys on the end next to her dad, then her mom and she took the next two seats. Jane spent a few minutes flipping through the program before turning to Angela.  
  
"Thanks for coming, Ma. It really means the world to her, especially after what happened with her aunt and uncle."  
  
"I wouldn't have missed my future daughter-in-law becoming a doctor."  
  
"Really, Ma? Again with the marriage thing?"  
  
"What? I can't help it if I just want you girls to be happy. You can't tell me you haven't thought about it."  
  
Jane couldn't help the grin appearing on her face, "of course I've thought about it. But we're not ready for that yet. We've only been together for five months, Ma, and we haven't even moved in together yet."  
  
"I know, I know, I'm just saying."  
  
"Sure, Ma. Oh darn the luck, it's starting, guess we can't talk about this anymore." To further illustrate her point, Jane made a dramatic snap of her fingers and shake of her head, pouting. Angela rolled her eyes in response, but couldn't say anything else before the speaker began.  
  


*****

  
"My girlfriend is the smartest woman in the entire world."  
  
Jane wrapped her arms around Maura from behind, kissing her on the cheek, causing the blond to jump in surprise.  
  
"I'm hardly the smartest woman in the entire world, Jane."  
  
"Sure you are. You're definitely the smartest person I know."  
  
"And you know everyone in the entire world?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do."  
  
Maura turned in her arms and placed a kiss to Jane's lips before giving her a disbelieving look. "Whatever you say, Jane."  
  
"And you're definitely the sexiest doctor I've ever seen."  
  
Maura laughed and kissed her once again, "thank you, Jane."  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Maur. You're pretty amazing, you know that?"  
  
"Oh, I'm quite aware," Maura smirked at her. Jane kissed her again as the rest of her family caught up to her and each gave Maura a hug and a congratulations.  
  
"So, Maura, where are we headed to celebrate your big day?" Angela asked her after giving her a hug.  
  
"Oh. I have no idea. Jane has something planned, apparently."  
  
"Yes, I do. And it's going to be the most awesome celebration ever."  
  
Jane led them back outside and toward the car. She climbed into the drivers seat and navigated them to Maura's favorite French bistro where she luckily had thought to make a reservation a few days before. She loved the look Maura got when she saw where they were heading, her eyes lit up and her smile grew a bit wider.  
  
"You remembered!"  
  
"Of course I remembered," Jane replied, smiling at her. She reached over and took Maura's hand and kissed her knuckles before releasing her and parking the car.  
  
Sure, her family would probably look pretty out of place at the four star restaurant, but it was Maura's day and she knew it would mean a lot to her that they come here.  
  


*****

  
Later that afternoon, the Rizzoli's made their way back to Maura's apartment and Jane shoed her family quickly out the door and back to Boston. When the door was shut behind them, she turned, giving Maura a devilish smirk. Maura raised her eyebrows in response, walking toward her.  
  
"So, Dr. Isles, would you like to celebrate your graduation now?"  
  
"Isn't that what we've been doing all day?"  
  
"That was the 'G Rated' celebration. I'm talking about the 'Rated R' celebration."  
  
To illustrate her point, Jane wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and pulled her close. Maura wrapped her own arms around Jane's neck, threading her fingers through her girlfriend's dark curls. Maura went to capture Jane's lips with her own, but Jane had her own idea.  
  
She turned her head at the last second and began peppering Maura's neck with light kisses before settling on the spot just above her collarbone that always made the doctor squirm.  
  
Jane smiled when she heard a breathy moan escape Maura's lips. She trailed her lips upward and nipped at the blonde's earlobe causing her breath to catch.  
  
"I love you so much, you know that?" Jane whispered in her ear.  
  
"I do. I love you too, Jane. More than I could ever say."  
  
Jane finally found Maura's lips and continued kissing her softly as she moved them backward down the hall toward Maura's bedroom. The two collapsed together and spent the rest of the night proving to the other just how in love they were.


	30. Hold Up My Heart

Sunday morning, Maura woke before Jane and glanced around her now empty bedroom and became a bit sad that it was the last morning she would ever wake up here. As soon as Jane woke, they would pack the remainder of her things in Jane's car, the rest had been sent on a moving truck yesterday, and they would make the drive back to Boston and move into their new apartment.  
  
While Maura couldn't be more excited to start this new chapter with Jane, she was also a little sad to leave this one behind. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the last year.  
  
A year ago, she had no idea what had happened to her parents, she had an aunt and an uncle, no best friend, or friend at all, really, she was, for the most part, alone in the world.  
  
Jane had turned her world upside down; she gave her love, friendship, a real family. She had helped her figure out what really happened to her mom and dad and she had shown her what was really important in life.  
  
She would never be able to thank Jane enough, and it only meant more that she knew she didn't have to.  
  
Maura watched as Jane began to wake and smiled when she saw her eyes flutter open. "Hey there, sleepyhead."  
  
"Morning, baby. Have you been up long?"  
  
The doctor shook her head leaned down to meet Jane's waiting lips. In one quick move, Jane flipped them over so that she was lying on top of Maura. "You know, we get to wake up this way every single day from now on."  
  
Maura grinned in response and kissed Jane once again. "You won't get sick of me, will you?"  
  
"Never, Maur."  
  
Jane lifted herself off Maura and stood next to the bed before pulling the blonde with her. The two made their way down the hall and Jane poured them each a glass of orange juice and handed Maura one of the bagels they had picked up the night before.  
  
Everything was already packed, they simply had to put the last few items in the trunk and head north to Boston. Maura wanted to get an early start so they would have plenty of time to move into their new place before it got too late, so they ate quickly, then showered together, which didn't happen as quickly as it could have.  
  
After they dressed, Jane picked up their bags and went downstairs to pull the car around. While she was gone, Maura double, okay more like quadruple, checked to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything and couldn't help but feel a sense of finality.  
  
When she arrived at Columbia, she had never expected things to end the way they did. She always thought it would be her aunt and uncle at her graduation, but instead it was her new family, however loud and chaotic they may be, Maura knew she wouldn't trade them for the world.  
  
She glanced at the bed where she and Jane had first made love to one another, a night she knew she would never forget. Whatever ups and downs they may have in their life and no matter what they had already been through, that was the night she knew for sure, she never wanted to love anyone but Jane Rizzoli for the rest of her life.  
  
She walked through the rest of the apartment slowly, taking in all the memories that had been painted on the walls, the majority of them being sleepless nights studying or researching or writing papers, but the more powerful memories, the only ones she bothered filing away for a rainy day, those all included Jane.  
  
Helping Jane study. Watching movies on her couch. The first time Jane made her dinner. Their first date, the way she had come inside and turned on a cheesy pop song and danced around her living room, not caring that her neighbors below would likely complain. Just yesterday when Angela had told her she was a part of their family, no matter what happened with her and Jane.  
  
As much as it saddened her to leave those memories behind, she knew the next chapter would be even greater and that Jane would be in every single one.  
  
She smiled to herself and closed the door behind her, sighing slightly as she entered the elevator to meet her girlfriend downstairs.  
  
 _I definitely wouldn't' change a thing._  
  


*****

  
It didn't take them long before they had everything packed into the car and were on their way back to Boston. Maura let Jane drive, in exchange for control over the radio, a decision Jane was rethinking more and more with each passing second.  
  
After nearly an hour of Yo-Yo-Ma, Jane simply couldn't take any more.  
  
"Maur, can we please listen to something else?"  
  
"According to the terms of our agreement, I was granted complete control over the radio, was I not?"  
  
"Yes, that's why I asked nicely instead of just changing it myself."  
  
"Well, since you asked nicely."  
  
Maura switched over to one of Jane's preset stations to find one she didn't hate. When she was satisfied, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, but not before taking Jane's hand in her own and resting them on her thigh.  
  
"Whatcha thinking about?"  
  
Maura smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze, "Sometimes life has these chain reactions that are truly interesting to think about. I was just considering, if I had never gone up to you that day and offered to help you get Gabe back, we might have never ended up here."  
  
"Sure we would have."  
  
Maura gave a slight frown at being corrected and bunched up her eyebrows before replying, "How do you figure?"  
  
"Well the first time I saw you I knew you were the most beautiful woman in the world, and the first time I talked to you, I knew you were the smartest woman in the world, it was only a matter of time before I realized I couldn't live without you."  
  
Maura wasn't sure she would ever get used to Jane's constant compliments, but part of her hoped she wouldn't. Jane was constantly taking her by surprise with her heartfelt words and it meant even more once she realized she was really the only one who got to see that side of Jane.  
  
To the rest of the world, her girlfriend was always nice and caring, even to those she didn't know, but she also always had a wall up, afraid of being hurt again. Even her family tended to get the guarded version of Jane most of the time, but somehow, Maura was able to break down that wall and find her favorite part of Jane.  
  
The Jane who would do anything for her, say anything to make her smile, that was the Jane she fell in love with.  
  
"I'll never understand what I did to deserve you," Maura replied softly.  
  
"You? Oh no, babe, I'm nothing special. It's me who doesn't deserve you."  
  
"I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Jane."  
  
"One day, I will get you to see yourself the way I see you."  
  
"How is that?"  
  
"You really don't know how amazing you are, Maur. I'm constantly in awe of you. I find you...miraculous. Breath taking. And I really do think you're the smartest woman in the world. Anyone would be lucky to have you, and I couldn't be happier that by some miracle, that happens to be me. I'll tell you every day for the rest of our lives if I have to, one day you'll start to believe me."  
  
Maura shook her head slightly in disbelief and held onto Jane's hand a little tighter. She tried to reply but she couldn't seem to find the words.  
She wanted to tell Jane that she was wrong. That no one else had ever wanted her, that she didn't deserve the love Jane had for her, but she had sounded so convincing, so sure of herself, Maura couldn't bear to be the one to prove her wrong.  
  
Maybe Jane was right.  
  
Maybe one day she would start to believe it.  
  


*****

  
When the girls finally made it back to Boston, they made a stop at Jane's house to pick up the clothes she had packed a few days before. They loaded her boxes into the truck that had brought Maura's and Angela, Tommy and Frankie followed them to their new apartment to help them unload everything.  
  
The apartment was open, one bedroom and a small bath with an open living room and kitchen. The entire apartment had a modern day craftsmanship vibe too it and Maura absolutely loved it. Jane had sent her pictures before they decided on it, of course, but actually stepping foot into the apartment, the first place she would live with Jane, their first home together, actually, Maura's first real home ever, it was a feeling she couldn't quite describe.  
  
She stopped suddenly as she reached their bedroom and she knew Jane was right behind her. She spun around, startling the brunette and kissed her hard on the mouth while looping her fingers through Jane's belt loops and pulling her closer.  
  
"Does that mean you like it?" Jane asked her when she had pulled away several minutes later.  
  
"Like it? Are you kidding me? I love it, Jane. You did a wonderful job picking it out. We're actually moving in together," Maura replied, a wide grin on her face, unable to hide her excitement.  
  
"Yep, you're stuck with me now, like it or not. No returns, Doctor."  
  
"Wouldn't dream of it, Officer."  
  
"I'm not a police officer yet, Maur," she replied, a slight frown on her face.  
  
"But you will be soon. You start at the academy in a few weeks and then before you know it, you'll be kicking ass and solving crimes."  
Jane smiled at her, then a surprised look appeared on her face, "Wait, did you just say ass?"  
  
"I did," Maura replied, triumphantly.  
  
"So proud of you, babe," Jane replied, shaking her head and laughing. "Come on, let's unload the truck so we can kick them out."  
  
"That's not very nice, Jane, they are here helping, we don't want to be rude and just kick them out."  
  
"How are we supposed to christen every room of the apartment with my mother here?"  
  
Maura paused for a moment, thinking, "good point. First one to finish unloading wins."  
  
"What does the winner get?"  
  
"Anything they want," Maura replied, kissing Jane, a sly look appearing on her face. Before Jane could register what was happening, Maura was sprinting out the door and down the stairs. The brunette ran off behind her, ignoring her mother's warnings to slow down.  
  
The five of them unpacked more quickly than they expected, Angela tried to insist on staying to unpack the boxes, but Jane wouldn't let her do anything but set them down in the proper room. Two hours later, everything was organized, well, as much as boxes can be organized, and they had devoured the pizza Maura insisted on buying for them.  
  
For once, her mother seemed to understand that they didn't exactly want company. She herded the boys back to the car and wished the girls a goodnight.  
  
Their place was filled with cardboard boxes, they didn't have any furniture yet except a bed and wobbly table where the TV from Jane's bedroom sat, but Maura had never felt more at home. She quickly made the bed then went back to the kitchen where she was surprised to find Jane with an open bottle of wine and two glasses. Jane handed her one and clinked them together before taking a sip.  
  
Maura uncharacteristically lifted herself up onto the counter behind her, legs dangling off the edge. Jane moved to stand in front of her and wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. Maura responded by sitting her glass down and resting her own arms on Jane's shoulders.  
Jane kissed her softly and Maura couldn't help the moan that escaped from her lips.  
  
"Are you happy, Maura?"  
  
Maura kissed her again, pulling her as close as she could and grinned at her.  
  
"I've never been happier, Jane."


End file.
